The Vampire Slayers
by michebabyblue
Summary: Both Buffy and Angel are slayers Giles is married to Joyce and they have arrived in Sunnydale.
1. Intro

A.N I know I promised I wouldn't start another story until I had finished one of the others but as I was watching Season 1 of Buffy this idea came and made a permanent place in my head so here I am, writing an other story.

Disclaimer: Joss is Boss

Introduction.

_Hi I'm Buffy Summers and I'm about to tell you a huge secret about me and the people around me. First off I'm a vampire slayer, what's a vampire slayer you ask, pretty much what it say's I hunt and kill vampires and other forces of darkness. However I don't do this alone, my boyfriend is the male equivalent to the slayer and we fight side by side each night._

_My first watcher got killed not longer after I was called his name was Merrick and I will always remember him. Then a new watcher comes and at first I gave him the hardest time, but we managed to work out our differences, which is good considering he married my mum. There names are Rupert and Joyce Giles but I mostly call them Giles and mum. My mum knows about the whole slayer gig and at first was a little wigged but eventually came around. _

_So anyway one night at a school dance this whole cadre of vampires burst into the gym and the only way to save everyone was that's right me and Angel had to burn it down, which at the time was a very pretty event, sadly though the event got us both kicked out of Hemery now all of us are moving to a new town called Sunnydale. (In case you're wondering Angel's parents died when he was young and he was brought up by the watchers council, he now lives with us)_

_Gotta go now were at the new place 1630 Revello drive Sunnydale California I hope this place is more quiet then L.A._


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Buffy was tossing and turning in her bed having a nightmare which was not uncommon for the tiny slayer. In this dream she saw a load of vampires and demons gathering at a place she didn't recognize then a really old and ugly vampire came into view and went to grab her, making her wake up.

Looking at the door she saw Angel standing there looking concerned.

"Morning" she answered trying not to sound as shaken up about the dream as she did. It was hopeless though Angel knew her to well.

"Another nightmare huh, want to talk about it" he asked as he came to sit on her bed.

"Nope I would rather just receive my good morning kiss from my incredibly handsome looking boyfriend, so when you see him around cane you tell him please." She teased already starting to forget about her recent nightmare.

Angel just lowly growled and leant in to capture her lips in a sweet kiss, when they broke apart he muttered. "you better have no other boyfriends at least none prettier then me."

Buffy giggled and hopped out of her bed just as Joyce called from downstairs.

"Buffy, Angel you up, don't want to be late for your first day" The two teens both grimaced and buffy sarcastically answered back.

"No, we wouldn't want that, would we." Angel just chuckled and left her room so she could get changed and went to grab some breakfast.

By the time Buffy had come down Angel was waiting by the door ready to leave.

"hey where's Giles I thought he was working at the school we are going to, why is that again?" She asked while she buttered a bagel.

"He wanted to get there early and set up the books you guys might need if you have a demon problem at school, and he's working there so you two don't get into any trouble."

Joyce answered sending a look to them both.

Angel just smirked as he opened the door and replied.

"Who says we get into trouble I like to believe we are very well behaved students."

Joyce just laughed and shooed them out the front door while she grabbed her keys and went to the gallery she had required in town.

Buffy and Angel were seated in the principal's office while he went over their transcripts and then to there complete surprise watched as he tore them up.

"Welcome to Sunnydale high, were you get a new slate, we don't care about what has happened in the past even if it says" he pauses as he actually reads the torn up pieces of paper, he looks up at them and then back down reaching towards the cello-tape. "Wow"

"Look principle Flutie I know our transcripts are a little . . . colourful" Angel starts to say when the principle cuts him off.

"You think colourful's the right word and not dismal."

"It's not that bad " Buffy defends.

"You burnt down the gym" he points out, Angel can feel his girlfriends anger rise and reaches for her hand, when the principle stops him.

"We are very sensitive to public touching in this school Mr' O'Conner"

"Okay we really did burn down the gym but you don't get the big pictures that gym was full of vamp" Buffy started with out thinking to say vampires when Angel came to their rescue.

"Asbestos" earning a grateful look from Buffy.

Just as Flutie was going to say more the first bell rang, he gave them their timetables and shooed them out of his office.

As soon as Buffy was out she gave a small sigh of relief, then got bumped by a passing student making her drop her bag and half her things on the floor. Before Angel could help her a dark haired boy came up and started to help pick up her stuff.

"Can I have you" he asked nervously.

"What" Buffy asked while Angel just growled at the boy.

"I mean can I help you, we haven't met have we, I'm Xander" He swiftly recovered.

"No we are new I'm Buffy and this is my boyfriend Angel." At the word boyfriend The boys face dropped but considerably brightened and continued the conversation.

"Yeah I heard new people had transferred so I guess I will see you around."

"Yeah" they both answered heading off to their first class, when Xander spotted something on the floor.

"hey you forgot your" looking at the object for the first time he continued a bit more quietly. "stake."

But both Angel and Buffy were out of sight.

Buffy had just finished a class where they were learning something about the black plague she was seated next to a girl who shared her textbook.

"You know if you wanted a textbook of your very own I'm sure the library have a few copies."

"Thanks I was heading that way my step dad is the new librarian"

"Wow that must suck, I'm Cordelia by the way, and if you want to survive just hang around me and mine and you'll do fine."

"Thanks I'm Buffy" they started walking down the hall towards when a red head came into view.

"Wow Willow I see you've discovered the softer side of Sears" Cordelia said with a sneer while Buffy frowned at her tone.

"My mum picked it out" the girl called Willow responded

"No wonder your such a guy magnet are you done" Cordelia more ordered then asked.

Willow walked down the hall giving Buffy one more look before moving out of sight.

The rest of the walk was in silence once they were outside the library Cordelia turned to Buffy.

"You know if your not doing anything later you should come to the Bronze"

"The who"

"The Bronze it's a club on the bad side of town."

Buffy saw Angel walking down the hall, and finished off the conversation with the obnoxious brunette.

"Sure if I'm not busy I'll see if I can get there."

"Cool, well we'll meet up later and you can tell me everything about you" she then walked off in thankfully the opposite direction of her boyfriend.

"Hey who was that, and why do I feel the need to shower." He asked.

Buffy pushed him playfully and waltz into the library coming to a stop when she didn't anyone there.

"Anyone here" She called out while Angel jumped onto the issue desk, he noticed a paper with a article circled.

"Looks like a watcher is never off the clock." He said holding the paper out to Buffy.

Looking at the article she started shaking her head. She didn't want to jump straight back into slaying especially since what has happened since she started it, except Angel he is the one good thing that came out of slaying, and supposedly Giles.

"Angel, Buffy it's good to see you." Giles said coming out of a caged are startling them both.

"Yeah we need some books." Buffy responded.

"I know exactly what you need, I found it when unpacking." He went behind the counter and dropped a book on it shoving Angel off in the process.

Buffy took one look at the book and walked away from them both, it was the same one she had seen in her nightmare and she didn't like it one bit.

"That's not what I'm looking for" then she sprinted out of the library.

"Nightmare" Giles asked

Angel nodded his confirmation then requested the textbooks both him and Buffy needed for class. Then went off to find his girlfriend. He went to the quad and to his surprise found her sitting next to a redhead and two boys, one he recognized as Xander.

He walked up to them just as he heard the other boy say.

"Any dark dirty secrets you would like to tell us" he stood right behind him and growled making the boy jump.

"Angel, that wasn't necessary." Buffy scolded then brightened. " I would like you to meet Willow, Jesse and I guess you remember Xander, Guys I want you to meet my boyfriend Angel."

Angel gave everyone a smile and seated himself beside Buffy, then Cordelia came up.

"Oh hello who are you." She asked Angel with a seductive undertone.

"Angel, Buffy's boyfriend." He answered, finding that he was off the market Cordelia noticed who she around.

"Are these people bothering you"

"What no" Buffy said.

"Anyway you won't get to meet Coach Foster, due to the extreme dead guy stuffed in a locker" That got the slayers attention.

"Dead, how" Angel asked

"I didn't ask" Cordelia asked slightly mortified.

"Were there any marks" Buffy said

"I don't know, morbid much."

"We gotta go" they both said in unison and without another comment left the quad.

A.N does this just seem too much like the show I might skip some of season 1 and try to make up my own season 2 or something like that, Anyway your comments much appreciated and wanted.


	3. Chapter 2

Buffy and Angel made their way over to the gym, checking to make sure the coast was clear, they opened the door only to find it locked.

"Great" Buffy muttered Angel looked at her in askance; it was if sometimes she forgot she had super strength.

"Keep an eye out." He told her as he griped the door handle tightly; he coughed loudly to cover the sound of the lock, handle and door breaking.

"You know this death could be completely normal, so you just broke school property for no reason." Buffy muttered behind him.

Angel just gave her the 'I know you don't believe that' look and moved over to sheet covered body and crouched down. Buffy knelt next to him and grasped his hand. This was one of the hardest parts of being a slayer, not seeing a dead body- cuz that essentially is what a vampire is- but seeing a life taken that they could've saved.

Angel lifted the sheet high enough to see the head and neck of the body and sure enough there was a bite mark on his neck. He lowered the sheet back down and stood up taking Buffy with him. He brought her to him and hugged her tightly, resting his head on top of hers.

"Come on lets go see Giles." He said quietly a few minutes later. Buffy pulled back far enough so she could look into his eyes, lifting her head slightly she met his lips with hers before turning around and left the locker room.

Giles was in the stacks trying to restore order in the library- apparently the librarian in charge didn't see the point of shelving books properly if students weren't going to use the faculties- when Angel and Buffy came in.

Seeing no one around Buffy got straight to the point.

"You've heard about the dead guy right."

"Pardon" Giles asked startled by the bluntness of the question.

"The dead guy stuffed in some girl's locker" Angel clarified, he was thinking back to the scene, something seemed so familiar about it.

"Yes, what I heard was it looked like the victims blood had been drained so I'm assuming it was a"

"Vampire attack, yes" Buffy finished for him.

"I was worried about this" he muttered

"Well I wasn't, it's our first day, I was worried about not making friends, having last years hair, or Angel killing the idiots who tried to hit on me." She paused to take in air before looking pointedly at the two men "I didn't think there would be vampires on campus."

Giles and Angel shared a look, they knew the truth about Sunnydale and why they had moved here. They had just hoped things would be more settled, before they had to tell Buffy.

"Buffy" Giles began but was cut off by the bell; he gave a resigned sigh before telling them to go, but assuring them that the conversation will be continued at dinner. He followed them out and went to get some tea from the staff room, no one saw Xander emerging from the stacks a confused look on his face.

"What"

The rest of the day had gone without incident though people were giving them some odd looks which meant Cordelia had told everyone about their fascination with the dead body.

Buffy was now standing in front of her full length mirror with a couple of outfits in her arms while Angel lounged lazily on her bed watching her with an amused expression.

"Hi I'm an enormous slut" she said to herself while holding up a small black dress, then she hold up an over-sized flower dress thing.

"Would you like a copy of the watch tower." Sighing loudly she turned to Angel

"I used to be so good at this."

Angel just couldn't resist the pouty look and moved off the bed to give her a kiss. Buffy melted instantly and completely forgot that her bedroom door was open, but that was soon rectified when her mother walked in.

"Hey now you two save it for that club your going to." She joked while the two teens broke apart. Buffy just huffed in indignation it wasn't like she never caught her mum and Giles making out in the kitchen or living area.

"Sorry Mrs. Giles I just couldn't resist the look on her face." Angel went all proper just like Giles did, his life with the council showing clearly.

"Relax babe she was just teasing besides from the looks of her smudged lipstick she was doing the same thing a few minutes ago." Buffy said making her mother blush.

"Right well dinner is done, Rupert informed me he had something to discuss with you two about slaying, he mentioned the dead body at school. So sad, well see you soon" Joyce moved to the doorway before turning around and addressing angel. "Oh and Angel call please call me Joyce, or I might have to start referring to you as MR O'Conner." Leaving a giggling Buffy behind she headed downstairs to put dinner out.

Five minutes later Buffy and Angel came into the dinning room and seated themselves talking quietly and sharing brief kisses. Ten minutes later Giles appeared looking rather upset about something.

"Spill Giles you have had something face ever since you've walked in here" Buffy said a few minutes into the meal.

"Well first off, the real reason as to why we moved to Sunnydale, it appears that the town was built on what is know as a Hellmouth, the early Spanish settlers called it Boca Del Inferno meaning mouth of hell. Anyway the council thought it might be prudent to keep an eye on it and given the death rate around here I quite agree." Silence reigned around the table as Buffy absorbed the information, looking around she realized they had all known, not being able to take their stares she excused herself and left the room.

"That went well" Angel muttered, he knew she felt more betrayed by the fact that they hadn't told her then the actual information itself.

"Angel, there is something else, something both you and Buffy need to know, I just received a phone call from the council" he went on to tell Angel everything, leaving it up to the younger man to inform his girlfriend about recent events, it was just as Giles finished talking that they heard the audible sound of the front door being opened and then shut a bit harder then necessary.

"Look I'm going to catch up to her and explain things, see you guys later." Angel said as he ran to catch up to Buffy, she had just entered an ally but when Angel got there it was empty, then he was on his back on the ground.

"Angel oh god I'm so sorry, but you should know better then to follow me like you did."

Angel brushed off her concern and clicked his neck.

"Man I had forgotten how spry you are, look Giles said some more things after you left." He started but was cut off by Buffy.

"Oh and your actually going to tell me what it is, not scared that I won't be able to handle it, I've grown up you know. I had no choice." She said the last part so quietly and full of sorrow that angel just went on instinct and pulled her into his embrace.

"Oh sweetie, not telling you why we were moving here was nothing about you, we just knew that you wanted a break from slaying for a while we were going to tell you." Angel said.

"Whatever, so what did Giles have to say" Buffy asked into his chest.

"Oh something called the Harvest is happening soon, he needs to research it some more" Angel gave her the cliff notes version knowing she would have ignored all of what Giles said. "Also you left without this." He pulled back and dug into his jacket pocket pulling out a box.

"Your cross" she said softly as she turned around so he could put it on her, this was the first thing he brought her when they had started going out.

Securing the necklace he grasped her hand and led her to The Bronze. When the y entered the building Angel went off to get drinks while Buffy made her way to Willow.

"Willow hey, you here with anyone." She asked as soon as she was in hearing range.

"Oh hi, no, I thought Xander would be here though." The redhead answered.

"Oh are you guys going out"

"Oh no, I haven't dated anyone lately, it's just I'm not confident like you, when I try to talk to guy the words just don't come, I think guys are interested in girls who can talk." Willow liked Buffy she seemed nice and sincere and nothing like Cordelia, and her boyfriend Angel didn't seem so bad either.

"You really haven't dated in a while, well my philosophy, do you want to hear my philosophy" getting the red heads approval she continued. "Life is short, not original I grant you, but why worry about some guy and if he rejects you, seize the moment cuz tomorrow you might be dead."

"Oh that's nice, hey Angel" Willow acknowledged the dark hared teen.

"Hey Willow, um Buffy we should check out the view from the balcony" and speaking lower so just Buffy could hear. "Vamps."

"Excuse us we'll be right back"

"Oh that's okay you don't have to come back." Willow said.

Ensuring the fact Angel led Buffy up to the balcony getting a better view of the bronze. They reached out with their senses trying to spot the vamps in the crowd, finally the spotted one, but unfortunately he was leading the now more confident Willow out of the club. Running down the stairs, they try and reach the redhead before she can leave but the crowd hindered their progress, when they do make it out side the only familiar face is Xander.

"Hey you guys leaving already"

"You seen Willow she just left with a guy" Angel asked.

"This the same Willow right" he started to do a little victory dance in her name but Buffy stopped him.

"Do you know where he will take her?"

"No why, oh hey I hope he isn't a vampire cuz then you guys will have to slay him" Before he could get another word in Angel had him against the wall.

"Look, I don't care how you know but you in danger Buffy's life by telling anyone that, well then I'll make a vampire attack look nice." He threatened.

"You guys are serious" Xander was in too much shock to absorb the threat.

"If we don't find her there will be one more dead body in the morning." Buffy said darkly.

It took some time but they had managed to track down Willow to a nearby crypt, where Jessie also was being held. While Buffy played diversion girl Angel took the three civilians outside before heading back in to give Buffy a hand. He got inside just to hear her scream as a big vampire that wasn't their before slowly lowered himself to bite her.

"Buffy" he shouted.

TBC.


	4. Chapter 3

Angel lunged towards the vampire, but the vampire reared back hitting angel into the wall, slamming his head hard enough to daze him for a short time. When his head cleared Buffy was standing up from the coffin she was in and the vamp was no where to be seen.

"Angel are you okay?" She asked as she helped him stand up.

"Never better, you?" When Buffy nodded her head, they left the mausoleum in search of Xander, Willow and Jessie, it seemed like they had gotten away when they heard Willow scream.

"I'll help Willow, you find the boys" Buffy said and they split up to go save their new friends.

Willow was being held down by one vampire, Buffy rushed in and gave it a quick kick in the head, to dislodge it from the young teen then she knelt down and pushed her remaining stake through its heart. Before Willow could give her thanks Buffy went to see how Angel was doing, signalling Willow to follow her.

When they reached the sounds of fighting it appeared that Angel was fighting two vamps, so while Buffy went to assist Willow went to check on Xander who clearly showed signs of being knocked on the head. Soon the sounds of two vamps exploding could be heard and Buffy and Angel was by their sides.

"You guys okay" Angel asked supporting Xander as he stood.

"We're not physically hurt. But fine I don't think we are fine I mean I almost got killed and Xander is hurt and where is Jessie" Willow rambled.

"That blonde vampire took him" Xander mumbled

Buffy looked around the now silent graveyard and whispered one name.

"Jessie"

The next morning everyone including Joyce was in the school Library, Willow and Xander had stayed at the Giles residence that night calling their parents so they wouldn't worry. Now they were discussing what had transpired the night before.

After Giles had explained about the world being older then they knew and the popular myth of it starting as a paradise was wrong Xander interuppted.

"See here's the thing I'm having trouble with, we're talking about vampires, we are having a discussion with vampires in it"

"Well isn't that what we saw last night" Willow slightly asking slightly explaining.

"No they weren't vampires, they were just guys in a bad need of a facial and that vampire turning to dust just a trick of the light." At their disbelieving looks Buffy admitted. "That's what I said when I first saw a vampire."

Trying to lighten the mood Angel added "After she had finished screaming." This earned him a smack in the stomach from Buffy

"I think I need to sit down" Willow said.

"You are sitting down" Joyce said placing a reassuring hand on Willow's shoulder.

Xander decided to ask the million dollar question.

"So how do you guys fit into all of this." The four exchanged a glance before Giles went into watcher mode, and started to explain for them.

"Into every generation a chosen two are born, one male, one female, they are the slayers, together they fight with the strength and skill . . ."

"Blah, blah, blah he really likes to do this part." Buffy interrupted ignoring her mothers scowl at being rude. Giles threw her a look before giving in.

"All right Angel and Buffy are slayers, don't tell anyone and I think that's all you need to know." Xander however wasn't satisfied.

"Except how do you kill them."

"You don't, we do" Angel told him sternly.

"So what are you going to do about that boy, Jessie was it." Joyce asked.

"Well I think their going to keep him alive." Buffy said

"Why do you say that" Giles asked but Angel answered instead.

"Last night they weren't just looking for a feed, they were gathering, maybe for that harvest thing, sacrifices maybe."

Willow made a little squeak and asked if she could pass out, both Buffy and Joyce worked on relaxing her while Giles and Angel worked on where they could've taken Jessie.

"Well after they cleared the graveyard they could've just vroom" Angel said.

"They can fly" Xander asked a little excitedly

"They can drive" Buffy clarified giving him a weird look before continuing "best bet is that they went underground."

"Yeah vamps really dig sewers can go anywhere in town and avoid sunlight." Angel said carrying on the train of thought.

"But I didn't see any access" Buffy said.

"It's kinda unreal that they can do that isn't it." Joyce said to Giles who only nodded to her while wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Well there's an electrical tunnel that runs beneath the whole town maybe they used that." Xander said.

"Well then we better go down to city hall, and request the towns blue prints." Giles said as he moved towards the door.

"We so don't have the time" Buffy declared

"Um guys, there might be another way" Willow timidly piped up, then shrank back into her seat when they all looked at her.

A few minutes later everyone was gathered around the computer, the city plans on screen.

"So are the city plans open to the public are they" Joyce asked Willow.

"Not exactly, I kinda stumbled onto them when I breached their firewall." Willow said a little sheepishly.

"Someone's been naughty." Xander taunted making his best friend blush the same colour as her hair.

The uselessness that she had been feeling finally erupted when they didn't find anything useful. Pulling out of Angel's arms she stormed across the library.

"This is useless, there is nothing here." She stated sounding stressed.

"Hey don't you think your being a little hard on your self." Angel said in an attempt to calm her.

"No because I wanted a break from slaying I wasn't ready, I mean I thought I had it under control, but then that monster Luke came out of nowhere." She trailed off going over the fight last night.

"Buffy, what is it sweetie." Joyce asked.

"He didn't come out of nowhere, he came from behind me, I was facing the entrance, and he didn't follow us out. The access to the tunnels is in the mausoleum." She declared face shining with her achievement of figuring it out.

"You certain" Giles asked

"The girl must've doubled back with Jessie after we had gone, your right I'm surprised we didn't think of it sooner." Angel said impressed.

"So what the plan we saddle up right." Xander asked the two slayers.

"Xander you can't come with us we are slayers your not." Buffy said slowly.

"Right I knew yo threw that back in my face."

"Look I'm not exactly eager to go into a place full of monster but I do wanna help." Willow said.

"Then help us with researching this harvest event." Joyce said

"Yes it seems like it some sort of hell on earth, rivers of blood, quite charmless. We are a bit fuzzy on the details and maybe you could wrest some information from that dread machine." when Giles looked up he saw a mass of uncomprehending faces and a slightly amused one staring back at him.

"That was just a tad British wasn't it' he said a little embarrassed.

"Welcome to the new world" Buffy said while Angel and Xander tried to hold back their laughs.

"He wants you to go on the net" Joyce clarified for the still confused red head.

"Oh I can do that" Willow said.

With that all sorted Angel and Buffy headed off to hopefully save Jessie while the others started their research. It took the two slayers a little longer to reach the mausoleum thanks to their new principle intercepting them at the gate.

"I don't suppose you have a key" Buffy asked Angel.

"Nope, I don't think they like me that much" Angel said continuing with their little game.

"I wonder why" Buffy said as she kicked the gate breaking the lock.

"Lets go down and ask" Angel led the way with Buffy protecting the rear. They had been down there for a while when Buffy sensed someone approaching. They stood waiting, when that someone rounded the corner they moved for attack when they realized it was Xander.

"What are you doing here" Angel scowled at Xander.

"Something stupid I followed you" Buffy who didn't like the thought of standing still in vamp infested tunnels got them moving again.

"So stake through the heart, garlic and crosses right" Xander said trying to prepare himself.

"That'll get it done' Angel said

"Course I didn't bring any of them things."

The slayers couldn't hold back their eye rolls and Buffy wordlessly handed him a cross.

In the next interaction they found Jessie collapsed on the floor, Xander went on instinct and started to move closer to his friend, but Angel held him back.

"Come on we gotta help him" Xander said angrily Angel just tightened his grip as Buffy opened up a bottle of holy water and tipped it over the unconscious body. The reaction was immediate as the creature that use to be Jessie started to smoke and burn from the water. Angel then staked him hoping not to alert any other vampires that might be around. Unfortunately low growls told the three teens that they were not alone.

They took turn after turn trying to find a way out when they stumbled onto a room, however there was no other exit and the vampires were too close for them to leave they were trapped. Luckily the room had a metal door with a little pushing closed right as a vampires arm came through it. All three of them were keeping it closed when buffy spotted an air vent.

"Up there" Buffy said alerting the others to her find, Angel nodded her to go and get it open while him and Xander stayed against the door, which was starting to buckle against the pressure it was being forced to endure.

After a little tugging she managed to open up the great. "Come on lets go" She called frantically. Xander went first, then Angel and finally Buffy, the space wasn't very big but it was just enough for them to crawl quickly. Soon Xander was out into open sunshine, followed by Angel, but when Buffy was pulling herself out her leg got grabbed by a vampire, which then tried to pull her back in.

The boys quickly grabbed a side and started to pull, they managed to get her up enough for the arm to hit sunlight, the vamp growled but let go. They all fell backwards, Angel immediately went to check on his girlfriend.

"Are you alright" he asked tenderly pushing a piece of hair out of her face.

"Fine just fine." She answered placing her hand over the one that was holding her face tenderly.

By the time they got back to the library school had finished, and Willow was sitting at the table alone. She jumped a little at there sudden entrance and couldn't help asking.

"Jessie?" Buffy sighed and moved over to her.

'I'm sorry we were just to late and they were waiting for us." Both girls jumped as Xander kicked the bin, turning to face them he added his own view point.

"I don't like vampires, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that their not good."

"So Giles got anything to make this day worse." Angel asked the watcher.

"How about the end of the world." Giles responded grimly.

"Knew we could count on you" Buffy said before looking around. "Where's mom"

"Oh she went on home to put dinner on and get your weapons all ready"

"Your mom is pretty neat Buffy." Willow said

"Yeah she is" Buffy said fondly.

"Anyway, we found out that some sixty years ago a very old vampire tried to open the hellmouth" Giles started getting them back on track.

"But he blew it, I mean there was an earthquake that swallowed the town and him two, or at least the vamp like killings stopped afterwards." Willow continued.

"Mostly likely he got stuck" Giles finished

"So this Harvest thing is to get him out." Xander asked.

"Yes it comes once a century on this night, the master draws power from one of his minions while it feeds, enough power to break free and open the portal, the minion is called the vessel and he bears this symbol." Giles stops talking to draw a symbol that looked like a three pointed star on the portable whiteboard he had brought to the table.

"So me and Buffy dust anyone wearing this symbol and no more harvest." Angel put simply.

"Well any clue on where this might take place." Buffy asks the group.

They all think for a moment until Xander comes up with an answer.

"The bronze"

"You sure" Willow asks.

"No it makes sense all them warm young bodies it's perfect." Angel said

"We best be heading off then the sun will be setting soon." Giles orders as he starts shuffling them out of the library.

"Okay but we gotta go collect them weapons mums got all prepared." Buffy said as they were leaving.

By the time they had reached the bronze it was dark and the building looked quiet.

"It's locked" Buffy said trying the door

"We're too late" Giles said looking a tad pale

"Can't you break it down" Xander asked.

"No not this thing, look you guys try the back, Buffy and I will find another way in." Angel said already looking for a way in.

"Guys" Buffy called out. Then tossed her bag to Giles.

"You get in, and the people out, that's it okay" nodding their heads the three took off round back, while Angel showed Buffy a possible way in. Soon they were on the balcony part of the Bronze gazing below Buffy saw the vampire Luke addressing the terrified crowd.

"I feel him rising, I need another." Luke ordered. Angel pointed to the pointed star symbol on his head.

"The vessel" Buffy murmured alerting a vampire on guard patrol to their presence.

Just as Luke was about to drain Cordelia the two slayers threw the vamp over the banister and onto the pool table

"Oh I'm sorry were you in the middle of something." Buffy quipped while Angel slowly made his way to the stairs.

"You" Luke yelled outrage while realizing Cordelia enough for her to escape.

"You didn't think I would miss this did you" Buffy asked

"I was hoping you would come" Luke sneered a sinister smile on his lips. Buffy flipped off the balcony and rolled safely off the pool table grabbing a pool cue on her way. Without looking she shoved the cue sideways right into the heart of the vamp she thrown off earlier.

Meanwhile Angel had gone to help the other s open the back door, while Buffy started fighting Luke, they were guiding people to safely. Just as he was about to go and open the front door he got tackled by a blonde haired vamp. Angel struggled to get her off him and gasp when a fang scraped his neck just enough to break his skin. Then Willow was there chucking a whole bottle of holy water into the vamps face. The vamp instantly let go of Angel and fled out of the door.

When Angel turned around to see how Buffy was going he lost all colour in his face. Buffy was in an hold, Luke had his arms around her chest and she appeared to be knocked out. He struggled to get to his feet, but just as Luke when for the killing bite Buffy slammed her head back, breaking out of his hold.

"How'd it taste" she asked referring to his comment about Luke wanting only her blood. Picking up a metal mike stand she faced off against the big vampire. Luke just looked down at her smugly.

"You forget metal can't hurt me"

"Yeah well there's something you forgot too, sunrise." Buffy threw the stand through the window behind Luke. Acting on instinct Luke turned around falling to his knees hands coming up to protect his face. This is why he never saw Buffy coming up behind him stake in hand.

"It's in about nine hours moron" she said as he plunged the stake deep into his back and through his heart. In a cry of agony Luke exploded into dust, stopping the Harvest.

Buffy stood fully up with a menacing look on her face, the remaining vampires froze for a second before fleeing the building. Angel then appeared by the stage an Buffy quickly jumped into his arms, they shared a quick kiss before the others arrived.

"I take it's over" Giles said relief lacing his voice.

"We won" Willow asked slightly shocked

"Well we averted the apocalypse, gotta give us points for that" Buffy said wearily snuggling into Angel.

"Well one thing's for certain things will never be the same." Xander said as they started to leave.

The next day when Giles, Buffy and Angel got to school, everything seemed absolutely normal it wasn't the first time they had seen this, they met up with Willow and Xander who was staring at everyone with disbelief, then they heard Cordelia passing along talking to one of her Cordettes.

"Well I heard it was rival gangs, fighting for turf, and Buffy and Angel like total knew them which is too weird, it was like a complete freak show." The group of five just rolled their eyes when they couldn't hear her anymore.

Buffy looked at Xander's disbelieving stare and asked.

"Well what were you expecting"

"I don't know something, at least an assembly." Xander said

"People have a tendency to rationalize what they can, and forget what they can't" Giles explained

"Trust us we've seen it before." Angel said patting the dark haired teen on the his back.

"Well I'll never forget" Willow stated

"Good next time you will be prepared" Giles said.

"Next time" Xander and willow asked in unison

"Yeah just cuz we stopped the master from rising this time doesn't mean he won't stop trying" Angel explained.

"More vampires" Willow whined,

"Not just vampires, the next creature we face could be quite different." Giles said sounding quite solemn.

"I can hardly wait" Buffy said while rolling her eyes and grabbing Angel's hands.

"We are standing on a mystical convergence here, we might just be the only people standing in the way of the end of the world." Giles says looking slightly excited.

"That doesn't sound good" Xander commented.

"Well I'm going look on the Brightside" at Angel's look she continued. "Maybe I could still get kicked out of school."

"Hey that's a plan" Angel agreed.

"Maybe you could blow something up" Willow commented as they move away from Giles.

"Nah I was thinking on something a little more subtle, like excessive not studying." Buffy replied.

Giles watched them go so proud of what they accomplished last night especially Buffy, but looking at them know Giles just couldn't help the comment that left his mouth.

"The earth is doomed.

TBC.


	5. Chapter 4

-1The quiet library was suddenly disturbed by one very angry and upset librarian.

"This is madness, what were you thinking, lives depend on you, I make allowances for your youth, but I expect a little bit of responsibility, instead which you enslave yourself to this, this, cult." Giles paused his rant to catch his breath

"What you don't like the colour?" Buffy innocently asked, while rolling her eye's at Angel.

"I don't mind it" Angel said appreciably eying the cheerleading uniform closely.

"I shall appeal to your common senses, if such creature exists, you both have sacred birthrights, which do not include waving pompoms at people or watching her do it" Giles carried on as if the two slayers had never spoken.

"Look Giles I know this isn't exactly going by normal procedure, but it might help us to do some normal activities, you know remind us why we fight." Angel tried explaining to him why it was such a big deal, especially for Buffy who will never give up a chance of having a normal life.

"Yeah, look this isn't going to stop us from fighting the good fight, but we wanna do something normal, something safe." Buffy could see Giles starting to see their way and knew it wasn't long before he finally agreed no matter how reluctantly. Buffy decided to go for the kill.

"You know it will make mum extremely happy to be able to tell people how proud she is of her only daughter's achievements without going to the nut house." Buffy said, knowing her step-dad would do anything to keep her mum happy.

"Very well you may try out, but let it be known I'm not happy with the decision." Giles said, sighing in defeat.

"Besides how were you planning on stopping her" Angel asked, Giles just looked dumbfounded for a moment but was saved by answering when the bell for homeroom went off.

Later on during the day Buffy, Angel, Willow and Xander entered the gym for tryouts. Buffy holding Angel's hand nervous with the task ahead.

"Well look at all these girls, all infused with school spirit" Xander's observation was cut short when he saw one girl doing the splits between two chairs and stretching her upper body.

"Ooo stretchy, what was I saying" he asked Willow

"You were pretending that seeing scantily clad girls in exposing postures was a school experience." She was not happy that Xander openly viewed these girls but still continued to ignore her, and she knew that he still pined for Buffy, even if she did have a boyfriend that could kill him without tryin.

"Who said I was pretending" they both made their way over to where Buffy and Angel were standing, they were just in time to see Angel give Buffy a bracelet.

"What's this" she asked inspecting the new piece of jewellery closely, she found an inscription on it.

"Always yours" she looked up at her boyfriend, while he wasn't exactly closed off, he was a deeply private person and usually decided to show his affection when they were alone, so this public display shocked and moved her.

"Just something for good luck along with this." he answered as he swept down and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Cordelia walked over scrunching her face up at the same cheerleader Xander was ogling before.

"Look at that Amber, who does she think she is a Laker girl" She asked Willow.

"I heard that she turned them down" Cordelia just huffed and turned away making it look like she hadn't interacted with one of the geeks of the school, and so she didn't have to see Amber anymore.

The lead cheerleader called everyone to attention and started the tryouts with Amber. As everyone moved to the stacks Willow saw an old friend.

"Amy hi" Willow waved the girl over to introduce Angel and Buffy.

"I didn't know you wanted to be a cheerleader, you've lost a lot of weight" Willow observed.

"Had too" Amy turned to Buffy who was leaning against angel's chest for some support and commented.

"How I hate this let count the ways" Buffy nodded in agreement before both girls turned there attention to Amber who had just started her routine.

Everyone watched for a few minutes even Cordelia who quickly turned around annoyed at the girls obvious talent.

"I heard she trains with Benson, he's one of the best coaches money can buy" Amy said to a wide eyed Buffy, though this comment brought her out of her stupor to look at Amy incredulously.

"There are Cheerleading coaches."

"Oh yeah don't you have?" At Buffy's shake Amy continued.

"I train with my mum, three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening"

"Hmm that much time with my mum would lead to some quality matricide" Buffy said burying into Angel more, not telling the other reason why she couldn't train as much as she used too.

"I know it sounds hokey but it's great" they once more watch Amber who was about halfway through her routine and was now using pompoms.

Suddenly everyone started to notice smoke starting to come from Amy, more and more students moved closer while the cheerleader carried on seemly not noticing the smoke.

"That girl's on fire" Willow shouted, Cordelia who hadn't turned around just gave Willow a look.

"Please enough of the hyperbole"

Amber suddenly dropped the pompoms and everyone could see that her hands were clearly on fire, and going by Amber's expression it wasn't a pleasant experience. As everyone else started to panic, the two slayers went into action, Angel ran up the stacks and ripped down one of the banners, then chucked it at Buffy who tackled Amber and put the fire out, cradling the scared close she whispered to the girl that everything was going too be okay while sharing a solemn look with Angel.

The gang had gathered into the library, once the paramedics took amber to hospital. Buffy was pacing the table length while everyone was seated around it except Giles who was picking out books.

"I've been slaying for over a year now, and I've seen some pretty cringe-worthy stuff but no ones hands ever got toasted. Angel?" He thought for a bit before he could give her an answer.

"No this is a first for me and I've been slaying a bit longer then Buffy" Everyone turned to Giles who was still searching for books.

"I can imagine not"

"So this isn't a vampire problem" Angel asked

"No"

"But it is funky, right? As in not of the norm" Buffy commented

"Quite while spontaneous human is rare, it is also scientifically unexplainable. Normally all that is left is a pile of ashes" Giles said finally taking a place at the table while the teenagers took in the glum news.

"Well that's all that would've been if Angel and Buffy hadn't been there" Willow commented

"So we have no idea what caused this, that's a comfort" Xander said sarcastically, while slumping further in his seat.

"In all the cases reported, was there any common denominator" Angel asked moving to stop Buffy from pacing, and to give her some comfort.

"Rage, everyone had great consumable rage" Giles said

"So what maybe this Amber has a special power to set herself on fire, like the human torch, only you know it hurts." Xander said trying to lighten up the situation.

"Well I'm going to check out the skinny on amber see if she's had any colourful episodes before." Buffy said starting to leave the library.

"That means illegally hacking into the school records, at last something I can do" Willow said with a proud happy smile."

"I'll ask around see if her friends know anything." Xander said also glad at finally doing something active.

"Look you guys don't have to do anything" Angel said moving up beside Buffy

"But we're a team aren't we" Xander asked while Willow Continued.

"Yeah you guys are the slayers and we're like the slayer-ettes"

"I just don't like putting you guys in danger"

"I laugh in the face of danger, then I hide until it goes away." Xander joked causing everyone else to either shake their heads or stare at him strangely.

"Fine but be careful, I mean what if amber's not the one causing this" Angel asked Giles

"Well then we must find whatever is and stop it accordingly." the watcher answered skimming through another book

When Buffy and Angel got home they found Joyce opening crates with artefacts for her gallery in the kitchen. She seemed to be having trouble with the last crate.

"Hey mum" Buffy said placing her bag on the ground.

"Hey hunny, Angel, I take it Giles will be home later" She replied still concentrating on the crate.

"Yeah they have a staff meeting" Angel said pulling a drink out for him and Buffy.

"But he's just the librarian how does it apply to him" Buffy asked curiously.

"It just does, so did you guys have a good day" Joyce asked.

"Yeah I had tryouts today" Buffy said

"Oh how'd it go?"

"Well she actually didn't get to try out" Angel said "What is all of this? He asked looking into a couple of crates.

"Oh just some artefacts for my gallery's first major opening, you know it won't kill you to give me a hand" Joyce said giving up the crate to the people with super strength.

"Mum what did I try out for?" Buffy asked curious to know if her mom paid any attention to her.

"Um some activity . . . I have no idea, I'm sorry"

"It's okay, and it was cheerleading." Buffy said as she helped herself to a donut.

"Well that's good that should keep you out of trouble"

"I'm not in trouble"

"No not yet' Joyce said without thinking, Buffy looked down and Angel wrapped an arm around her, giving her his support.

"I'm sorry, its just ever since you became a slayer, well lets say it hasn't been easy for either of us, and now that your going back to Cheerleading, maybe things might start going back to normal" she looked into the crate and quickly but the lid back down.

"Oh my."

"What?" Angel inquired

"Oh just a fertility statue nothing either of you need to see." As she left the room, Buffy sneaked a peak.

"Jeepers" Angel laughed at her look and gave her a kiss.

A.N I've decided to leave it here because I wanted to give you guys an update. I hope you enjoy it; I had particular trouble with this because one big part of this episode is Xander trying to ask Buffy out, and well he kinda can't because of angel, but here it is. Review PLEASE.


	6. Chapter 5

The next day cheerleading tryouts continued Angel accompanied Buffy half to support her and half to keep an eye on the other cheerleaders. He was shocked to see how little the girls seemed to care that Amber was still in hospitals with serious burns to her hands. He settled into the stacks as the same cheerleader from yesterday called for attention.

" Despite the terrible thing that happened yesterday, we still need new cheerleaders. Today we will do group co-ordination" All the girls then got sorted into groups. Buffy, Amy and Cordelia were in the same group.

Cordelia was in the front behind and to the right was Amy, with Buffy next to her.

The routine started off well if the chant was a little too corny for Angel's taste, then right at the end as all of the girls did a cartwheel, Amy landed wrong and collided into Cordelia.

Cordelia immediately righted herself and with worried eyes addressed the others.

"You saw that right, it wasn't me, you saw that right" Cordelia turned her head to give Amy a glare before turning back to the judges. Amy just sat there with a defeated hopeless look in her eyes, only moving when Buffy helped her up. Before Buffy could ask if she as okay Amy was escorted to the nurses office, for the cut she gained above her right eye to be treated.

Angel went up to Buffy sensing that tryouts were now over and gave her a little hug before she went to get changed and he went to report to Giles that nothing else weird had happened. Once Buffy was changed she decided to wait for Amy who had just got back. When Amy came out she saw Buffy staring at the trophy case.

"That's my mom" Amy said pointing to a trophy with a picture of a red headed teenager behind it. Buffy leaned in closer to read the name under the picture.

"Catherine Madison, get down with your bad self'" Amy smiled as she continued to tell about her mom, and eventually her parents.

"Her and my dad were homecoming Queen and King, they got married right after graduation."

"That's kinda romantic"

"Yeah but he was a big loser left when I was twelve with miss trailor trash and never made any money.

"Okay that part is less romantic." Buffy said hoping she hadn't brought up a hard topic for Amy to discuss.

"Drag huh, he left my mom with nothing, she put herself through cosmetology school, gave me anything I ever wanted, and never once gained a pound." Amy said slightly in awe and wonder.

"That's great Amy, but you really don't have to lock step with this whole cheerleading thing." Buffy said hoping the girl understood.

Amy looked at Buffy like she was crazy or something.

"But she was the best and I can't get my body to move like that, I totally blew it in there."

Before Buffy could say anything to the upset teenager, Amy mumbled gotta go, and rushed off, Buffy tried to get her to stop but was ignored. Right then Willow showed up.

"Hey Buffy, is Amy okay she looked kinda upset" Willow asked her blond headed friend.

"Oh she's just wiggin because her mom was the big cheer queen back when" Buffy explained moving back to study the picture and trophy.

"yeah her mom's kinda" Willow started trying to find a suitable word, but Buffy found it first.

"Nazi-like"

"Hail, if she gained an ounce she would padlock the fridge and eat nothing but broth."

"So mummy dearest really is mummy dearest." Buffy said frowning.

"when her mom went on a broth kick Amy would come over to my house and we would stuff ourselves with brownies." willow said smiling at how innocent and simple things seemed back then.

"So what about Amber" Buffy said needing a subject change, there was nothing she could do for amy right now, but she could do something about Amber.

"Nothing thrilling, a couple detentions for smoking, but that was regular smoking not . . . " willow trailed off using her hands to get her point across.

Buffy sighed she hated not knowing what was going to happen, looking at Willow she put on a brave smile.

"Guess we will just have to wait to see what happens next." she said as the two girls headed off for class.

Back in the changing rooms Amy had just finished getting changed, and was collecting stuff when she heard a noise, looking around she didn't see anyone, and couldn't hear anything else. Going back to her locker she grabbed her last book and turned to leave, almost walking right into Cordelia.

Cordelia leaned in close, her anger clear in her gaze.

"If your extreme klutziness out there today keeps me off the cheerleading team, you are going to be very beyond sorry." Cordelia said in a sickly sweet voice, which did nothing but enhance the threat. Backing off she flashed a smile

"Have a nice day" then she turned around and walked away throwing her hair band into her locker and slamming shut then back open, leaving Amy to stare after her.

Later on Willow had met up with Xander and Angel, they were now walking towards the quad to meet Buffy for lunch.

"I told Buffy about Amber" willow informed them

"That's great" Xander said obviously distracted by something.

"Was she wearing it?" angel asked out of the blue, which earned him confused looks from both Willow and Xander.

"The bracelet she was wearing it right." Angel asked again at Willow's nod he let out a relieved sigh.

"So how long have you and Buffy been going out anyway?" Xander asked, even though Angel could never replace Jessie he was hoping they could become close friends.

"Well it was just before her last watcher Merick killed himself so about 6 months now, honestly sometimes I'm scared she will just up and leave, especially when she goes into one of her 'I just want to b e a normal girl' kicks." Angel confessed to his new friends.

"Oh Angel don't be silly, you help make her feel like a normal girl, around all this supernatural stuff, it really helps her to know that there is someone who knows what its like to be her." Willow reassured Angel, her and Buffy had talked about this when Buffy had stayed the night at her house the other night.

"See isn't that why you just love Willow, she's just like one of the guys" Xander said to Angel missing the frown on Willow's face at the comment.

"Ooo look the lists are up" Xander said pointing a billboard where a large group of girls stood in front of, trying to read something on it. Buffy and Amber were off to the side, their nervous expressions telling the other three that they hadn't managed to find out if they had made the team yet.

"I can't take this" Amy said to Buffy, looking kinda pale. Angel tried to get to the board but girls just moved in front of him completely blocking his way to the board.

"Spot me I'm going in" Xander said jumping into the opening in the crowd and made his way through the crowd, he managed to get there quite quickly, most of the girls moving out of his way hoping he wouldn't touch them.

Cordelia came out of the crowd and walked to the waiting group, standing in front of Amy she smirked.

"You're lucky"

"I got in " Amy said hopefully

"No I did" Cordelia walked off right as Xander came back.

"Man one of those girls punched me hard, maybe we should test for steroids." He paused at the looks Buffy and Amy were giving him, like if he didn't tell them if they did or didn't get in some, they would hurt him.

"Kay not only did you make the team, you Miss Summers made first alternate and Amy made number three, and what better way to celebrate then with a . . . "

"I gotta go" Amy said walking off.

"Xander alternates are the ones who didn't make it, they just fill in if one of the others can't perform" Willow said looking at Buffy for her reaction.

"Excuse me" Buffy said following Amy.

"For I am Xander, King of the Cretins, and all lesser cretins must bow before me." Xander said pitifully while Angel patted his back sympathetically before moving away to go see if Buffy was okay. Buffy had Cught up to Amy who wasn't handling the news very well.

"At least its over and do you know what I think we should do about it, brownie pig out my house after school." However Amy wouldn't take the comfort.

"Its I just don't know how much more I can take, I mean how many more hours practise can I do. This never happened to my mum, never" Amy once again moves away.

Angel comes up to Buffy and wraps an arm around her shoulder.

"Hey how you doing" he asked softly, turning her head so he knew she wasn't lying.

"I'm fine, actually it's probably better I didn't make it into the team.' Buffy said truthfully, she was kinda surprised she thought she would feel at least a little upset, but a part of her realized it wouldn't have worked anyway not while she was still a slayer.

"Really, I mean you were keen for this at the beginning" Angel asked.

"I think just trying out, getting to do something as normal as trying even if I didn't get in is all I needed." Buffy explained.

The bell for class went both Buffy and Angel had a free so they decided to got the library to see if Giles had come up with anything and to help research, well Angel was Buffy was just gonna hang with her boyfriend and step-dad and appreciating the normalness they bring into her life.

Later that night someone wrapped in a cloak stood over a boiling cauldron that's was filled with a green liquid. In on hand the figure held a doll dressed in a cheerleading outfit, as the person started to chant they wrapped a pink headband, similar to the one Cordelia had been wearing at the tryouts around the dolls head. Just as the figure finished chanting she placed the doll into the caldron. Once the spell was done they laughed menacingly, before leaving the room, ready too see the results of the spell.

When Buffy went into the kitchen the next morning for breakfast, she surprised to see Giles was still there, he normally left early to make sure the library was in order, and that there was nothing left from any late night research, before the students got to school.

"Morning' she said getting herself a bagel she looked up to see Angel walk in, still not entirely awake, she flashed him a smile before going to the fridge to get them both a drink.

The two teens were so engaged with each other they didn't notice the glances between Giles and Joyce, with a reassuring squeeze from her husband, Joyce turned her attention to Buffy.

"You know Buffy, I've been thinking, since the cheerleader thing didn't work out, how about trying for the yearbook staff, I did it and had lots of fun." Buffy tried her hardest not to hurt her mom's feelings with her reply.

"Not really my tip, mom"

"I was the photo editor, I got to be on every page, made me look much popular then I really was" Joyce said smiling slightly at her school days.

"Have you seen the kids that do yearbook, nerds pick on them" Buffy said without really thinking, she just wanted her mom to drop it.

"Some of my best memories from school were from when I did the yearbook" Joyce said a little upset at her daughters comment. Giles and angel shared a look, they knew already that this wasn't going to end nicely.

"Well this just in, I'm not you mom and I'm into my own thing" ,Buffy honestly didn't know why parents couldn't just stop pushing for a minute and listen to their children.

"Your own thing got you kicked out of your old school, and moved us here where I'm expecting you not to come home because your own thing got you dead." Joyce erupted, she had been holding that in fro a bit, even from Giles. Sometimes she felt so left out from the whole slayer business because she didn't have an active role in it, like the others.

Buffy just looked at her mother for a minute before picking up her school stuff and left without a word. Things remained silent in the kitchen for a bit, before Joyce mumbled miserably to herself.

"Excellent parenting form, a little shaky on the dismount" Before turning to the other two people sitting in the kitchen, Angel wouldn't exactly meet her eye, and Joyce realized the same applied to him as well, Giles just went over to her and brought her into his arms.

"I'm going to go after Buffy, make sure she's okay." angel said quietly still not meeting Joyce's eyes, then quickly left.

"I didn't mean it, it's just I get so worried about them, Angel is like my son, and if he and Buffy keep this relationship up he will be, I just don't want them to die." Joyce cried into her husbands shoulder.

"Joyce, they have been doing this for a while, they know what they are doing and they have me, I'm not going to let anything happen to them if I can." He said reassuringly looking at his watch he saw that he really had to go as well. Making sure that Joyce was okay and promising to meet for lunch, he gave her a kiss and to headed off to Sunnydale High.

Later on the Scooby gang as Xander had started to call them were sitting at the table. Angel was treating a long cut on Buffy's arm after she tackled Cordelia to get her out of the way of a truck. It now seemed that Cordelia was completely blind, meaning Buffy was on the cheerleading squad, though it was the last thing on her mind. She was still a little hurt from her mother's comment, and even both Giles and Angel had tried to reassure her but she just couldn't get rid of the comment.

"Witchcraft" Giles said startling everyone by the sudden sound of his voice and the fact he slammed a book down on the table. "Blinding you enemies to disorient or disable them is classic."

"First vampires, now witches . . . No wonder you can still afford a house in Sunnydale" Xander said trying to lighten the mood in the library, and slightly succeeding, though Giles did give him a stare.

"Yes, but why would anyone want to hurt Cordelia" Giles asked the group, not rally having met the girl.

"Maybe cuz they met her" Willow said startling everyone. "Did I just say that out loud" she asked sheepishly, squirming a little at Buffy's nod and smile.

"And setting amber a blaze?"

"Yeah they don't hang" Xander commented

Something seemed to click in Buffy's head, making her sit up quickly making Angel miss placing the bandage on her arm, she patted his arm in apology and let him finish covering her cut, even though iit wouldn't be there by tomorrow.

"Their both cheerleaders" she said

"Somebody doesn't like cheerleading" Giles said.

"Or maybe they like it to much" Buffy commented, she saw thee light in Willows eyes light up as she caught on to where Buffy was going with this.

"Amy" Willow stated

"Amy" Buffy confirmed.

"So you guys are leaning towards Amy" Xander said ignoring the same stare from Giles as before.

"She's desperate to get on that team . . . I have a feeling she would do anything to make her mother's dream come true." Buffy said looking at her boyfriend for confirmation, she smiled when he nodded in confirmation.

"Let me get this straight someone is casting dangerous and disfiguring spells so that they can become a cheerleader" Giles said unbelieving. Buffy just looked solemn as she gave her reasoning.

"I think you underestimate the pressure a parent can put on you. If your not a picture perfect carbon copy, they tend to wig."

"Buffy, your mo" Angel began only to be cut off by Buffy shaking her head, signalling she didn't want to talk about it.

They spent the next few minutes trying to find a way to prove it was her, they even checked the library computer to see if she had gotten any books on witchcraft, which led to an embarrassing moment for Xander.

'We need a conclusive test guys, we want to make sure we have the right person' Angel said just as Giles said

"Ah ha, you will need some of her hair, a little quicksilver and some aqua fortis." Giles read from the book.

"Well that's just mercury and nitric acid, you can get them in any science lab." Willow said looking slightly excited about the upcoming asks.

Closing the book Giles looked up at the four teenagers. "Oh and you will need eye of newt."

It was lucky that they had science later on that day, as Buffy went to get some of Amy's hair, after many reminders from Angel to be careful, Xander tried to pry an eye from the frog he and Willow were dissecting. After the fifth attempt he put it down on the table unable to do it. Willow calmly picked up the frog and expertly plucked the eye and put it the beaker with the rest of ingredients. Buffy son came back and placed the hair in as well, once Willow had stirred it a bit, she place some in a test tube and gave it to Angel.

"How are you going to go about this" Buffy asked.

"Spill it on her and try to make it look like an accident" Angel replied earning a smirk from Buffy, he was finally loosening up a bit.

"Be careful" she whispered

"Yeah we're right behind you, only further back" Xander commented, causing Angel to roll his eyes.

As Angel was about to tip the test tube the teacher was asking a question to another student, Angel didn't pay much attention until the teacher exclaimed.

"Good god" which made Amy turn around hitting Angels arm making him spill the liquid on her. All he could concentrate was that the liquid had turned blue, it was positive. Looking up at Amy he saw that she was frightened but not because of the liquid on her, turning around Angel followed her gaze to see Lishanne who was supposed to be answering a question for Dr Gregory panicking, and for a good reason, where her mouth was suppose to be there was nothing, just skin.

Once the class was dismissed and Lishanne escorted to the nurses office the gang grouped together to talk about what happened.

'Did you see her face she was just as scared as the rest of us." Xander said.

"The test came back positive" Angel commented back.

"So she's definitely our Sabrina" Buffy stated.

"Maybe she doesn't know she's doing it" willow theorized as they started to head to the Library to fill in Giles.

"Then I suggest we talk to her mother see if she knows what she has created" Buffy decided, Angel took her hand ever since she had gotten on to the squad he was scared that something would happen to her. None of the teens see Amy standing behind them glaring at their backs, she moved one of her hands and the bracelet angel had given Buffy dangled from it. Smirking at their retreating backs Amy headed off home, to get rid of Buffy for good.

The next morning Buffy's alarm went off, as she went to turn it off, she didn't hold back her strength and completely destroyed her alarm clock, Buffy just giggled and mumbled an oops before getting dressed in her cheerleading uniform.

Down in the kitchen Joyce and Angel were already having breakfast, things seemed a little calmer last night but Buffy still didn't really talk to her mother. Their peaceful morning when they heard Buffy coming down the stairs singing macho man. They were completely surprised as she danced into the kitchen only stopping when she spotted a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

"Hey juice" she picked up the glass and drank it in three swallows. "Quality juice not from concentrate." she said.

"Your in a good mood" Angel observed from his place at the counter.

"I am aren't eye" she said happily bounding over to him and gave him a quick kiss.

"I'm in the squad, which is great cuz I feel like cheering and leading others to cheer, hey juice" Buffy picked up the second glass of juice that her mom had just done.

"Buffy about yesterday' Joyce began but got cut off by her daughter.

"Oh that is totally yester, besides it's not like you were wrong, but there are some things about being a vampire slayer that you'll never get, and trust me you don't wanna get." Buffy was completely oblivious to the strange looks her mom and boyfriend were giving her.

"Buffy are you sure your feeling well' Angel asked

"What I can't be in a good mood, that a new house rule, that's fine, I don't mind cuz" She started to sing macho man as she picked up her school things and headed off to school.

"I think you might want to call Giles, I'm going to go keep an eye on her" Angel said, very concerned for Buffy, before her mother could ask any more angel left the kitchen.

At school Buffy was doing cheer practise, for the big basketball game that night. She seemed completely out of it, and asked for the music to be turned up. Just as Xander and Willow entered the gym she stood on the head cheerleaders foot, making her yell at Buffy. When angel entered right after Willow and Xander he received Buffy's complete attention.

"Angel's here, with my buds, I love them all" Buffy shouted, then she noticed the stares of the other cheerleaders, and quickly got back in formation. Xander, Willow and Angel watched concern as practised continued.

"Shouldn't we get her out of here, you know before she" Willow asked right as Buffy cart wheeled to the head cheerleader and hurled her across the room. The tree teenagers ran to the fallen girl as did Buffy.

"Did I do that" Buffy asked completely out of it. When the cheerleader got up and pushed Buffy away from her.

"You're so outta here." She yelled at Buffy. Angel came and grabbed Buffy.

'It's not her fault" Willow tried to explain

"Yeah she's on mediation" Xander tried causing Buffy to look at him strangely.

"Well obviously not enough, who's are next alternate." The girl looked around and saw Amy step up to her a slight smile on her face.

"Oh it's you, congratulations Amy your now on the squad"

"No, no, no you don't want her she a w" Angel quickly placed his hand over her mouth muting what she was saying.

"A wise choice indeed" Angel finished for her as he dragged her out of the gym, once they were out Angel removed his hand and Willow went to her other side while Xander kept behind her, making sure she couldn't go anywhere.

'She's a withcy" Buffy declared nodding her head as well making her hair fall in her face, bringing her head back up she glanced at her friends, and boyfriend.

"I just got kicked off the team didn't I" She asked them

"I don't think its your fault" Angel said

'I know you don't cuz you're my angel" Buffy was going to say more but she suddenly extremely weak almost collapsing n the floor.

"I don't feel very well" she commented sounding almost like her old self. Then she promptly passed out, and only due o angel's slayer reflexives did she not land on the floor.

"Giles now" he ordered the other two, who didn't dare argue with him.

In the Library they managed to get Buffy to come to, angel was beside her keeping a damp cloth on her head.

"We gotta get her to a hospital" Willow said panicking slightly at her friends appearance.

"They can't help her now, this is a Bloodstone Vengeance Spell, hit's the body hard, like drinking a quart of alcohol and then eradicates the immune system" Giles was concerned this was a powerful spell, that could easily kill.

"Guess she knows, I know, she's a witch" Buffy whispered moving her head into Angel's cool hand on her hot face.

"The other's she just wanted out of the running but with you she intends to" he couldn't say it, she was his basically his daughter, he just couldn't say that last word.

"Kill" Buffy stated turning slightly too look at her boyfriend who ad just broken the side of her chair. Reaching out she grasped his hand and gave it a little squeeze.

'How much time do we have" Willow asked nervously, the look in Angel's eyes was starting to scare her.

"Well" Giles put off the answer by looking at his watch as if he was trying to calculate it.

"Truth" Angel said quietly, not fooled by the stall tactic.

"Couple of hours, three at the most" he said sighing

"So how do we reverse the spell' Xander asked

Giles told them how he had been researching the exact thing for the other victims and found two solutions.

"We need her spell book and if we can't get that then you have to chop the witches head off"

Buffy wouldn't hear of anyone chopping someone's head off, she still believed that Amy wasn't fully responsible. They decided to check out Amy's house, Xander and Willow wanted to go, but angel told them to stay here and keep an eye on Amy.

Once they reached Amy's house, they pushed their way pass Amy's mother, so Angel could set a now extremely weak Buffy down in the living room. Buffy saw the plate of brownies on the coffee table and noticed a few slips as Catherine speak but wasn't until Giles really pushed, that Buffy got her answer.

"Now look here, my daughter is very sick, and it has something to do with your obsession with cheerleading that's causing it" Giles practically yelled.

"Cheerleading I don't care about cheerleading" Catherine yelled back.

"Amy?" Buffy asked causing Giles to turn around and look at her. "Are you Amy?" Buffy asked again.

"I don't understand" Giles said looking between the two women.

"She switched" Angel said cluing in, "She switched your bodies didn't she" Finally understood, and looked at Catherine well Amy in slight horror.

Once they got the full story from Amy/Catherine, Giles made her take him to the attic to get the spell book while Angel kept an eye on Buffy. It seemed like Giles had been gone for ages before he came back downstairs.

"Did we find" Buffy asked weakly.

"We found, come on were going back to school, we need the science labs" he said, Buffy went to stand up but almost collapsed straight away so Angel picked her up and carried her to the car.

"Your coming with us" Giles said leading Amy/Catherine out of the house.

Back at school, they entered an empty science lab, thanking the PTB's that everyone was at the game. Angel cleared a bench and gently laid Buffy on it, using his jacket as a pillow. Giles came over to check on her.

"We don't have much time" he said as he prepared things on the teachers desk. Angel leaned over Buffy and pushed a stray piece of hair away from her face.

'You hang in there" he ordered but by the look of things she didn't seam to hear him clearly, turning around he looked to Giles who had started the spell.

Halfway through the spell Amy/Catherine staggered against the bench behind her.

"It's working" she whispered.

At the game Catherine/Amy was on the top of a human when the spell causes her to lose balance toppling the pyramid, amongst the gasps and slight laughs Catherine/Amy just glares at everyone then bolts out of the gym, Willow and Xander use the other exit and cut her off.

"Amy hi" Willow said trying to keep Catherine/Amy's attention on her as Xander sneaks up behind her.

"Get out of my way" Catherine/Amy said her voice deeper than normal.

"I-I can help you" Willow stuttered out.

"Help me, with what" Catherine/Amy seemed oblivious to Xander behind her.

"With your witchcraft, I know a nice cauldron, do you ride a broomstick?" She thought it was working until Catherine/Amy span around and brought her hand up in a clenching moment, right as Xander started to have problems breathing, then Catherine/Amy sent him flying with an other flick of her wrist, turning around she used the momentum to punch Willow knocking her out, before heading off to the labs.

At the science lab Amy/Catherine looked up in fear and whispered.

"She's here" then the door handle started to rattle but Angel had locked it once everyone was in. Just as Giles was finishing his spell an axe head appeared in the door before being pulled back and being put in, this happened a few times until a hand came through the hole that was now there and opened the door revealing Catherine/Amy standing there holding the axe that had broken the door.

She started to make her way to Buffy but Angel got in her way she flung him backwards into a the wall behind Buffy. Just as Catherine/Amy got to Buffy Giles finished the spell, there was flashing lights and a lot of noise. Buffy bolted upright on the bench and stared hard at the girl in front of her looking around nervously.

"Amy" Buffy stated

Amy was going to reply when she was tackled by her mother, Buffy quickly hopped off the table and engaged Catherine in a fight. Catherine managed to get a good hit in and Buffy went to the floor. Angel and Giles tried to go after her together but she just flung them back into another wall neither of them moved.

Catherine turned to her daughter who still held the axe.

"Mom, please" Amy begged moving the axe into a defensive position.

"You dare raise your hand to your mother" Catherine sneered as she magicked the axe into her hand, not noticing Buffy getting up behind her.

"I gave up my life so you could drag your worthless carcass around and call it living" she yelled slamming the axe into the table causing Amy to jump.

"You were nothing but trouble, and now I'm going to send you somewhere where you'll never cause trouble again." She started to gather her power but Buffy tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey guess what I feel better" with a powerful punch she sent Catherine over the table, but she recovered quickly and yelled at Buffy.

"That body was mine, mine"

"Oh grow up" Buffy said back, which earned her to go flying into the chalk board, when she got up she noticed that Catherine had started to chant, glancing up Buffy noticed the mirror and kicked away the stand just as Catherine sent the spell straight at Buffy. Instead of hitting Buffy the spell reflected back right into Catherine, she screamed in agony and in great flash of light disappeared.

It seemed like Giles and Angel were coming too, so Buffy went and moved the little table that was in front of them away. They stood up and stretched Angel locking onto to Buffy to make sure she was okay.

"Everyone okay" Buffy asked not looking away from Angel.

"I think that all the spells were reversed of course that was my first casting, so I may have got it wrong" Giles said looking at Buffy.

'You saved my life you are a god" She answered looking away from Angel to answer Giles, when she looked back he was directly in front of her.

"You sure you're okay" He asked softly placing his hands in her arms and rubbing softly.

"Never better" She whispered back leaning into him, and pretty soon they were engaged in a passionate kiss, causing Giles to remove and clean his glasses. However their little moment was broken when Xander came crashing into the room and grabbing Amy, with Willow right behind him holding onto a steel baseball bat.

Once everything was explained they all headed off home to get some well earned rest. The next day everything was back to normal, even Cordelia had seemed to get over her brief blindness quickly and was back to her normal catty self. Amy was complaining about her dad being all overprotective all the while loving being back in her own body. Later that night Joyce entered her daughters room and they resolved everything, before Angel came and took Buffy to the Bronze for a night of normal fun.

A.N Whew what a chapter huh, reviews are much appreciated , thanks to everyone who already has reviewed to this or one of my other stories it means a lot to me.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Joss is Boss

At the Bronze Buffy backed up into a post, she had no where to go and the vamp she been fighting was closing in, it looked like she was doomed until the vamp was thrown off her and onto one of the pool tables by none other then Xander. Buffy's face was filled with relief and admiration as she watched her rescuer beat off the vamp. When it looked like the vamp was down for the count, Buffy made her way over to Xander. Looking down she noticed a cut on his hand.

"Oh you hurt you hand, will you still be able to" Buffy started looking up into Xander's face with concern.

"Finish my guitar solo and kiss you like you've never been kissed before, you bet" Xander said cutting her off. He moved her to the side and started to head towards the stage, just as the vampire started to rise again.

Xander turned around breaking a leg off a nearby chair, flinging it into the vampire all in one movement finally dusting his foe.

Without further a due he jumped up onto the stage picked up a guitar and started to play it like an expert. He smiled as Buffy slowly made her way up to the stage smiling at Xander.

"Your drooling" Buffy said so quietly that Xander didn't hear her over his playing.

"What?" he asked leaning forward so he could hear her properly.

All of a sudden Angel was beside Buffy his arm wrapped around Buffy's waist as she lent into his side.

"Your drooling" Angel said and Xander woke up to find himself in science class with Dr Gregory still going on about ants. He looked to his side to see Buffy and Angel looking at him, Buffy leaned over slightly.

"You've got a little" She finished by dabbing the side of her mouth to indicate drool. Xander quickly wiped hi mouth praying he hadn't spoken out loud.

"If you had done the homework then you should know the two ways that ants communicate, Miss Summers?" Dr Gregory had walked up to Buffy's and Angel's table without either of them noticing.

Buffy just sat there blankly. Last night she and Angel had gotten a little side tracked while they were patrolling, and so they had gotten in later then expected. It got worse when Giles started to lecture them on the dangers of making out while on patrol before sending them to bed and by that time Buffy had completely forgotten about her science homework.

"The two ways ants communicate" she repeated as a stall tactic, at the teacher's nod she went on dumbly.

"With other ants"

"From the homework"

Buffy felt Angel touch her leg repeatedly, she realized that he was giving her the answer without the teacher knowing.

"By touch and" She saw Willow behind the teacher then she started to sniff Xander, unfortunately Buffy didn't quite get the message.

"And B.O?" she said scrunching up her face in confusion.

"I'm glad someone's finally got the courage to mention something" Blayne a popular jock said from the table in front of Buffy's, the class laughed while Xander just made a face.

"That would be smell Miss Summers, anything else Mr. O'Conner or Miss Rosenberg would like to tell you." Willow looked down guiltily while Angel didn't seem to care.

The bell rang and the class started to pack up their things and head off home, while the teacher gave them a couple more chapters from their textbook for homework.

"Miss Summers can I see you for a minute?" Dr Gregory asked before Buffy could leave.

"Actually I promised my dad, Mr. Giles that I would help him in the library" in all truth she and Angel had training before they went on patrol.

"This will only take a minute." Buffy looked over at Angel worriedly he squeezed her hand lightly and said he would inform Giles why she was late.

When Angel left Buffy slowly moved towards Dr Gregory who was sorting out slides for the next day's lesson/

"I've heard you had some troubles in your old school" he stated looking up briefly.

"Well what teenager hasn't" Buffy replied flippantly hoping he wasn't referring to the gym fiasco.

"Cutting class, starting fights, burning down the school gymnasium" looking at her expression he elaborated.

"Principal Flutie showed me your permanent record" he moved to his coat closet.

"You know there were major extenuating circumstances, actually it's kinda funny." Buffy was quick to defend her and Angel's actions.

"I can't wait to see what you are going to do here."

"That's me destructo girl" Buffy looked down saddened at another teachers negative opinion of her.

"Well whatever it is, it's going to be great" Dr Gregory turned around and smiled at Buffy who only got confused.

"You mean in a bad way right"

"You've got a smart head and can think on your feet, I think you could go far if you"

"Do the homework thing" Buffy supplied earning a smile from the teacher.

"The homework thing, I also want you to ignore Principal Flutie and the other teachers, lets make them eat that permanent record."

Buffy smiled and began to gather her things, before she left Dr Gregory reminded her of the homework making her laugh.

Once Buffy had left, Dr Gregory turned off the lights before going back to the slides, turning on a table light he began to inspect them. He never noticed his coat door opening or the creature advancing on him until it was too late. With one final scream he was knocked unconscious and dragged away.

That night Xander was wandering through the Bronze waiting for everyone to arrive, walking up to the stage he nodded his head to the lead singer who just gave him the brush off before heading over to the bar.

Once he got there he noticed Blayne and one of his friends discussing some girl, he tried to get one up on them but failed miserably when his own sex life was brought into question. He saw his escape in the form of Willow and Buffy who had just walked in.

"Girls" he said in acknowledgement while wrapping his arms around the both of them.

"Boy" Buffy replied removing his arm, thankful that Angel had gone on a quick patrol before meeting them; otherwise she would have been removing a broken arm from her body.

"Help me out here, Blayne had the nerve to question my manliness" Xander practically pleaded.

"Well lets show him" Willow replied throwing her arms around him, Xander was about to say more when Buffy started moving away from him, he looked in the direction she was walking and Angel at the door.

"Guess he's done with his patrol" Willow said moving her and Xander over to a recently vacated table.

Buffy slowly walked towards her boyfriend drinking in the sight of him. Angel was wearing a white singlet with Buffy's favorite leather jacket over it and a pair of form fitting jeans.

"Hey, finished already" she greeted him with a slight kiss on the lips. She moved far enough away so she could see his face.

"Your cold" he sated blankly.

"Okay I thought that was a rather warm welcome."

"No I meant your cold" Angel showed what he meant by taking his jacket of and placing it on her.

"Um nice and warm now" She said snuggling into the warm jacket; she looked up to see a nasty scrape on his arm, instantly worried she pulled the arm gently to her for closer inspection.

"What happened." She demanded prepared to go out right now and hunt down the creature that would dare to hurt her boyfriend.

"I wasn't paying attention" Angel said bring Buffy in closer so he could wrap his arms around her to stem her anger.

"To someone with a giant fork"

"He's out there Buffy and he's not to be taken lightly" Angel knew Buffy tended to forget to think on things when he got injured, she mostly just wanted to go out and kill the thing that had hurt him, but this time doing that could get her killed.

"The fork guy" She asked trying to lighten the situation.

"Look I'm going to go home and get this bandaged up and tell Giles my report while your mother pampers me with her wonderful hot chocolates." Angel said slightly standing back.

"No I'll come to, there's no way I'm letting you go out there alone again" Buffy said seriously although she also didn't want to miss out on her mom's hot chocolate.

"You just want a hot chocolate, and what about Willow and Xander; you came here to spend time with them." Although he didn't want her outside by herself right now either it was a rare chance that she got to come to the Bronze and just hang out with their friends.

'They will understand, besides they can come with us and get some hot coco." Angel finally agreed and Buffy went to get Willow and Xander.

Half an hour later everyone was seated in the Giles's kitchen each holding a mug of Joyce's hot coco. Angel had been bandaged up and now was enjoying the pampering from Joyce and Buffy.

"So someone with a giant fork attacked you tonight." Giles asked

"It was a vampire and it might've been anything not just a fork" Angel said sending a look at Buffy for making everyone think a giant fork had hurt him.

"Be that as it may I want both of you on high alert, always patrol together never doing the same route each night, Willow, Xander I'm sorry to ask but please stay in at nights, just until this new foe has been taken care of." Everyone agreed and finished their drinks. Joyce drove Willow and Xander home while Buffy helped Angel to bed.

"You know I'm not invalid" Angel said smiling at his girlfriends reaction to one little cut that would be gone by the next evening.

"I know it's just, never mind" Buffy gave him a deep goodnight kiss then retired to her room.

Angel stood out in the hallway for a minute, understanding what Buffy couldn't say, it might've been just a scratch this time, but with the lives they lead, next time it could be a whole lot worst. Right then Angel vowed that he would do everything he could to make sure Buffy lived a long healthy happy life.

The next morning Giles, Buffy and Angel were still talking about the new vamp menace on their way into the school building, Buffy and Angel had decided to hitch a ride from Giles that morning. Before the tri could enter Buffy spotted Willow sitting on the low wall of the steps, excusing herself she went to sit with her new best friend, Angel naturally followed, while Giles just carried on to the library for research.

"This just in no Dr Gregory today, ergo those who blew off our science homework aren't as dumb as we look" Xander said closing Willow text book.

"Is he sick" Angel asked

"Not sick, they said something about missing." Xander said clueless to what it could mean.

"Missing?" Buffy asked.

"Well let me think the cheerleaders were modeling their new short skirts" At the girls look he got back to the subject.

"Yeah missing." This time he didn't miss the look Angel and Buffy shared.

"Which is bad" he half stated half asked.

"If something's wrong yeah" Angel said thinking about the vampire he encountered last night.

"He's like one of the only teachers who doesn't think Buffy's a felon." Willow said innocently making Buffy look at her weirdly.

Xander started to say how sorry he was when his attention got diverted by the good looking woman walking in their direction

"Hi could you help me, I'm looking for science 109" The lady asked the clearly smitten Xander. Buffy looked over at Angel for his reaction, and was surprised to see him looking at the woman suspiciously.

While Xander tried to form a coherent answer both girls just watched amused, and didn't bother to help him when he asked them. Before anyone else could form a sentence Blayne showed up and escorted the Woman clearly a substitute away.

Xander looked at the trio sitting next to him looking a little annoyed.

'It's funny how the earth never swallows you up when you most want it to" Then the bell rang and the teens headed to homeroom.

By some wacky order of things they had science first, Buffy and Willow were still laughing over Xander's behavior while Angel had a thoughtful expression on his face. When they entered the class room Buffy noticed something on the floor, crouching down she realized they were Dr Gregory's Glasses.

"What's wrong" Angel asked looking over Buffy's shoulder to see what she was holding.

"If Dr Gregory dropped his glasses why wouldn't he pick them up?" Buffy asked. Angel just shrugged but through a look at their substitute the one that had asked Xander for help. Placing the glasses on the teacher's desk Buffy and Angel made their way to their table, which was right at the front.

"My name is Natalie French and I'll be substituting for Dr. Gregory." The brunette teacher said addressing the class. Buffy held up her hand and waited for the teacher to respond.

Miss French looked down at the seating chart before answering.

"Yes Buffy"

"Do you know when he is getting back?"

"No I don't they just call and tell me where they want me"

Blayne made a rude comment at that. The rest of class went pretty normal if you discount Miss French's weird defense of the praying mantis and the strange affect she had on every guy in the class but Angel. When she asked for volunteers in a science project the majority of them were guys.

At lunch Buffy and Willow were getting their food while Xander prattled on about their new teacher's attraction for him, completely ignoring the looks and comments coming from the two girls.

"Where's Angel, he would understand" Xander commented.

"Oh he went to library, something about your new girlfriend seems to be worrying him." Buffy said making sure she got enough food for Angel as well.

"Oh right, wasn't he like the only guy not to volunteer" Xander asked.

"Yep, I think that's because he's too armored by our Buffy, to notice some older, not better looking woman." Willow said.

Just then Blayne came up next to Xander and started loading up his tray with food.

"Gotta carb up for my one on one with Miss French today, when's yours oh that's right tomorrow. I came in first you come in second, guess that's what they call natural selection." Then he was off before Xander could retaliate.

Buffy just shook her head and went to get some utensils almost getting bowled over by Cordelia.

"Excuse you" The cheerleader said dismissively and headed into the kitchen prattling on about her Doctor and some new diet she was on. Cordelia opened up a fridge took one look in it and screamed, causing Buffy and Willow to come running.

Inside someone had shoved a headless body into it. Buffy looked at the jacket and there above the breast pocket was Dr Gregory's name. Her and Willow just stood there numbly, until the principal came along with Giles and Angel and ushered them away from the body.


	8. Chapter 7

Later that day everyone had gathered in the Library, even Joyce who had come at once when her husband called her at the gallery. Right now she was filling up a glass of water for her daughter who was sitting numbly on Angel's lap.

"Here you go sweetheart drink this"

"No thank you" Buffy said even she took the glass from her mother's hands and took a swallow of the water.

"That was, I mean, I've never seen, that was new" Xander stumbled over the words completely freaked by the incident.

"Who would want to hurt Dr Gregory?" Willow asked Giles she was sitting next to Buffy and Angel on the steps leading up to the stacks.

"Well he had no enemies within the staff, he was a civilized man. I liked him" Giles wrapped his arms around Joyce she wrapped her arms around him in return giving a slight squeeze for comfort.

"So did I" Buffy said still looking quite numb from the experience.

"Well we will find who did this and we will stop them" Angel stated while handing Buffy a tissue to dry her face.

"Count on it" Buffy said going into slayer mode.

"Well what do we know?" Xander asked the group at large.

"Not a lot, I'm guessing he was killed on campus most likely the last day we saw him" Giles turned his head towards his step-daughter an inquisitive expression on his face.

"How did you work that out."

"He didn't change his clothing" Buffy said matter of factley, Angel couldn't hold back the little grin at this trust Buffy to notice the clothing a piece of the innocent person she was before being called was still in there and Angel was going to do his best to keep it there for as long as possible.

"Here's a question no one wants to hear, what happened to his head" Xander still looked slightly queasy but doing something had started to help.

'Your right, I didn't want to hear that." Willow said looking a bit sick herself at the thought.

Suddenly Buffy got up from angel's lap and turned towards him.

"Angel, you said something was coming" everyone turned to look at the male slayer.

"Yeah but I don't exactly know what, too busy trying to stay alive" Angel looked at Giles to see if he new anything.

"Yes well I've bee studying up on the Master our local vampire king, there was a vague reference to a vampire that displeased him and as penance took his arm, but what happened to him it doesn't say."

"Why would he come after a teacher?" Joyce asked her husband.

"I'm not entirely sure he did there was an incident two nights ago involving a homeless person in Weatherly Park, he was shredded but nothing like Dr Gregory" Giles showed the article to the two slayers.

"Fork guy doesn't do heads" Buffy asked/stated moving her hand to grip Angel's.

"Not historically"

"So there's something else out there?" Joyce asked slightly disbelieving.

"Oh this is fun we're on monster island" Xander said using anger as an outlet for his fear.

"We're on a Hellmouth it's a centre of mystical convergence" Angel started then saw Buffy's grin at his council trained response.

'I guess it's the same thing."

"Unpleasant things do tend to gravitate here that's true but we don't know there is anyone besides this chap he is still our most likely suspect." Giles said trying to keep things calm amongst the teenagers.

"Where was that guy killed, Weatherly Park" Buffy had a plan forming one she knew no one would like and right on cue Angel came up to her.

"Buffy I know your upset, but now is not the time to hunt, we don't have enough information, promise me you won't go hunting tonight." Angel knew that she probably would anyway even if him, Joyce and Giles guarding all the likely exit points in the house she would still find a way out.

"I promise" Buffy said confirming Angel's suspicions.

Later that night Buffy approached the metal chain fence marking the border of Weatherly Park, she knew she had promised her family and friends that she wouldn't patrol tonight, but she couldn't let Dr Gregory's killer stay loose either. She scaled the fence easily and started to walk around.

The park was quiet and there were no signs of life except for the few homeless people that had chosen to sleep there that night so far none of them was dead but Buffy had a feeling more then one of them wouldn't survive till dawn.

She began to inspect a sewer pipe the entrance had been blocked by tree branches and other types of bush, when Buffy had almost got the entrance uncovered a vampire lunged at her Buffy barley had time to notice the giant claw device attached to one of his arms before she was pushed to the ground, going with it she managed to roll back on her feet and deliver a solid blow to the vampire, they exchanged blows when the both started to her voices. A group of police that had been given the park as part of their patrol had heard the fight and now were coming towards Buffy and the vampire, while Buffy just stood there the vamp used the time to escape.

When Buffy saw the men pass she trailed after the vamp, she barley got three feet when something came to her side reacting on instinct she threw a punch only to have it blocked and a voice answer in kind.

'Hold it, it's me" Buffy was slightly relieved to hear her boyfriends voice and also slightly anxious that he would be mad at her for not sticking to her promise.

"I'm not mad at you, I knew as soon as you promised that you were still going to go out to find the creature." Angel said as if he read her mind.

"You did huh" Buffy replied amused.

"Yeah but the longer we stay here the better chance it has of getting away" Angel stated as he moved away, Buffy let him take the lead knowing he was the better tracker, they came up to a different part of the metal fence and saw their pray advancing on Miss French, before either of them could warn her she calmly turned around and faced the vampire, the vampire took one look at their substitute teacher hissed in fear and ran away.

Angel and Buffy just stood there as Miss French carried on walking home with her groceries like nothing had happened. Both of them were too shocked to go after the retreating vampire. In one motion they turn to face each other and say one word.

"Giles"

Not wanting her mother to know what she had been doing Buffy told her and Giles that she had gone to the Bronze to try and forget the day's events.

The next morning Buffy and Angel hitched a ride with Giles again, just as they were entering the Library after a quick stop to the Staff room so Giles could get a mug of tea, Buffy finally had told him what she actually did last night.

"You went hunting last night" Giles said more then vexed at her actions.

"Yes"

"After you assured your mother and me you wouldn't" Giles guessed Angel already knew and sent him a glare for not telling him sooner.

"Yes I lied, I'm a bad person, lets move on" Buffy said wanting to share the information she and Angel had found out last night.

"So did you run into anyone with a giant fork?" Giles asked keeping the slight smile off his face for Angel's sake.

"More like a jumbo claw" Angel corrected.

"Ah, well at least neither of you is hurt"

"We saw something else, something more interesting then you average run of the mill killer vampire" Buffy said seriously

"Oh?"

"You know Miss French the teacher subbing for Dr Gregory?" Angel asked he had known all along there was something off about the teacher.

"Yes, I was cautious around her though after Angel's feelings yesterday."

"Well we were chasing claw guy and Miss French is heading home" Buffy started.

"Claw guy, takes one look at her then runs to the hills for cover" Angel said giving Buffy a look to say he wasn't happy that he had to use one of her terms to describe the vampire.

"What, he ran away"

"He was petrified" Angel confirmed

"Of Miss French" Giles asked still unbelieving, that a substitute teacher could send a vampire running with a look, not even Buffy or Angel could do that. . . Yet.

"Uh huh, so I'm a undead monster that can shave with my hand, how many things am I afraid of?" Buffy says as Giles goes into watcher mode.

"Well not substitute teachers as a rule"

The bell goes all of them agree that they should keep an eye on Miss French to see what she was up to. Buffy and Angel luckily had science for that period but before they could get to the room Principal Flutie intersected them and sent them to see the school councilor. Buffy and Angel both try to get out of it but Flutie wouldn't listen and before they knew what was happening they were seated outside an unused classroom, waiting for Cordelia to finish so they could get back to class and Miss French.

By the time Buffy and angel were finally allowed to head to class it was almost over, Buffy looks through the window in the door to see that they were having a pop quiz, she also notices Miss French standing real close to Xander and the hand she places on his shoulder. Suddenly Miss French's head spins around to stare directly at the door Buffy was peering through, freaking Buffy grabs Angel and heads away from the class room.

Later on Angel, Buffy and Willow enter the library to carry on researching Miss French or whatever she was.

'I'm not saying she craned her neck, we're talking full on exorcist twist, which reminds me, how come Blayne who worked with her one on one yesterday isn't here today"

"Inquiring minds want to know" Willow says more to herself as she heads off to the Library computer.

"How's it going" Angel asked Giles who was sitting at the table with a lot of big and dusty books surrounded him.

"I've not found a creature as of yet that can strike terror into a vampires heart" Giles was clearly frustrated at the lack of progress he had made.

"Try including things that can turn their heads all the way around." Buffy told him.

"Well nothing human can do that."

"No nothing human can do that, but some insects that can" Buffy suddenly had a thought and she didn't know how she just knew she was on the right track.

"Well whatever she is we're going to be ready for her" Angel said as he and Buffy mad their way to the stacks.

"What are you going to do?" Giles' asked them

Angel just called over his shoulder. "Our Homework." Willow glanced up in their direction a smile on her face to see Buffy doing homework; angel was definitely making an impression.

A minute after the two slayers disappeared Buffy came running back in.

"Where's the books on bugs?" Willow's smile grew larger some things took time to change.

Meanwhile Xander had gone back to their science class for his one on one with Miss French, when he entered he saw that she was having a sandwich.

"Hi"

"Hey I was just having a snack can I fix you something" Miss French asked.

"No I never eat when making egg snacks" he notices one on her desk.

"Hey wow if this was real the bugs would"

"Be as big as you" Miss French finished for him

'So where do we start?" Xander clapped his hands together eager to get on with the project.

"Oh Xander I've done something really stupid, I hope you can forgive me" Miss French looked at him concerned that he would be angry.

"Oh forgiveness is my middle name; actually it's LaVelle and I'd appreciate it if you guard that secret with your life"

Miss French went on to how she forgot that she had a meeting and if Xander wouldn't mind if he came to her place so they could still work on the egg sacks.

Xander flashed back to his dream, while Miss French gave him her address. Xander numbly left the room still shocked by the fact her was going to an attractive woman's house, doing a victorious yes Xander headed off to get ready.

He never saw the grass hoppers Miss French put on her sandwich or the evil smirk on her face as she bit into it.

It had taken some time but Buffy and Angel were convinced that they had the answer, however Giles and Willow were not so convinced, so Buffy went on to how she knew her and Angel were right.

"She could be a shape shifter of some sort" Giles paused as a thought popped into his head.

"Half a mo, I had a chum in Oxford, Carlyle, advanced degrees in Entomology and mythology"

"Entomo who" Buffy asked confused

"Bugs and fairytales" Angel answered for her

"I knew that"

Giles started to explain what had happened to his friend before he went mad, when the computer made a beeping sound and Willow called Buffy over. Blayne apparently never got home the night before after working with Miss French. Willow then began to panic about Xander and his crush on a giant insect.

"Okay calm down, Angel and I will warn him, but in the meantime can you get the autopsy report for Dr Gregory, I noticed some teeth marks around his neck and these should definitely be brushing after every meal." Buffy said pointing to a picture of A pray mantis mouth.

"You were saying something about a beast" Angel reminded Giles.

"Hmm yes I just need to make one trans-Atlantic call" Giles said heading towards his office about half way there he stopped and turned around to face the three teens.

"This computer invasion Willow is doing on the coroner's office is entirely legal I take it?" he asked

"Entirely" Buffy said

"Of course" Willow insisted while Angel just nodded his head a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Right, wasn't her couldn't stop you, don't know anything about it"

"Good idea" Angel replied as he and Buffy headed off to find Xander and warn him about their insect of a substitute teacher.

The two slayers eventually found Xander in a hallway near the quad, they tried to make him see reason but he was so love-struck that he wouldn't listen and even went as far as to say Buffy was jealous that a another woman was finding him attractive. After stopping Angel from hitting him Buffy tried to get him to see the truth but Xander just got mad and stormed away.

Xander arrived at Miss French's to see her dressed in a tight low cut black dress that left him drooling. They got to the lounge and Xander dimly noticed the classical music in the background. He took the martini Miss French offered him and took a huge swallow trying to calm his nerves.

Then Miss French asked if he had been with a woman and Xander started to say all the different woman he had been with, but eventual told the truth. Things were going smoothly until he thought he heard someone calling for help, and he noticed he was loosing focus and said he should leave before he was knocked out cold.

When he came to he saw he was in a basement in a cage where a strange creature was nurturing some eggs, cursing himself for acting so stupidly towards Buffy who was right Xander confirmed his suspicions.

"Uh Miss French?" he hesitantly called the creature turned towards him and he felt his heart go into his throat.

"Please call me Natalie" the giant pray mantis replied causing Xander to fall against the back of his cage.

Back in the Library Giles was arguing with someone on the phone about letting someone out of his cell, Willow had finally gotten into Dr Gregory's autopsy report and grimaced at the picture.

"You were right they were teeth marks" Angel said giving her a little kiss

"They match perfectly with the one insect that nips of its prey's head" Buffy said congratulating herself.

"I don't like it"

"It's also how they mate the female bites of the males while" she used her hands to finish the sentence while Willow started to panic again.

"No, No, No see I like Xander's head, it's where you find his eyes and hair and his adorable smile" Willow said forgetting to breathe between words.

"Willow calm down we saw Xander leave school, he's probably safe at home right now" Angel said to the redhead not knowing how wrong he was.

Xander was doing his best to stay calm and find a way out of the basement, he was so caught up with his problems he didn't see the arm reach out and grab him, jumping back he was shocked and relieved to see Blayne in a connecting cell.

"Oh God, Oh God" was Blayne could say at the moment.

"What did she do" Xander said using a firm tone so the other teenager would answer him.

"She, she oh god no" Blayne said still panicking

"Blayne what does she do" Xander yelled at him

"She takes you at of the cage ties you up and then she starts moving and throbbing, and these egg comes shooting out of her and then, then" Blayne started panicking again

"Then what"

"She mates with you"

"She?" Xander started but Blayne cut him off.

"That's not the worst part"

"Its not?"

" Did you see her teeth? Right in the middle, I don't wanna die like that" Blayne grabbed Xander's jumper in desperation.

Xander calmed down Blayne and told him he had a plan, he just needed to work on it, Blayne slid to the floor saying oh god over and over.

Giles was finishing his discussion with Carlyle then joined the others in the main room of the library. Buffy had called Joyce and told her they would be late home and not to worry.

Giles started to explain what his friend had discovered what his friend had found and what it does and more importantly who she went after.

"Virgins? Xander's not a, I mean he's probably" Buffy stumbled over her words slightly embraced by this turn of events.

"Gonna die" Willow said reaching for the phone to call Xander's house.

After a few minutes she hanged up and looked sadly at Buffy.

"His mother said he went to a teacher's house for a project but doesn't know the address"

"Willow you look up Miss French in the school's files look for an address, Giles in the vid library there should be a recording of a bat screech find it, it messes with their senses." Angel gave the orders while he and Buffy headed off.

"Where are you going?"

"Weapons" Buffy said simply.

They returned in less then three minutes, Willow handed over the address while Giles gave a Buffy a cassette with the recording on it; they loaded up their slayer bag and headed off in Giles car.

It took longer then it should thanks to Giles choice for a car but eventually they arrived at the address on the form. Buffy was going to kick the door in but Giles stopped her.

"You're just going to kick the door down?" he asked disapprovingly

'Yeah could that would be wrong" Buffy got her leg back into position as the door opened and an elderly woman opened the door.

"Hello, are you selling something cause I can't get anything, I'm on a budget" she told them very seriously.

"We're looking for Natalie French" Angel informed her.

"I'm Natalie French"

"The substitute science teacher?" Buffy asked getting a dread feeling in her stomach.

"Yes but retired a while ago"

Buffy turned to face the others disbelief on her face. They left the house but not the vicinity as both Angel and Buffy both were certain she was in the area. At the same time they got the same idea, and wordlessly went to the nearest manhole and went down saying they wouldn't be long.

Giles and Willow waited for what seemed like an eternity before the two slayers showed up with their clawed vampire prisoner in the lead, they used him to track the house the pray mantis was in, but before they could enter the vampire cut loose his rope bindings and attacked Buffy. Angel broke a bit of the wooden fencing and chucked it to Buffy who caught it and staked the vampire.

Angel helped Buffy up and checked for injures she gave him a quick kiss to say she was fine, when they heard what sounded like Xander calling for help. Buffy rushed towards the basement window and without second thought broke it, pushing the weapons bad through to clear it of any small broken pieces in the frame Buffy followed and immediately pushed the giant bug away from Xander.

Angel came up beside her and pressed play on the recorder, instead of the bat sonar they expected Giles voice came from the machine, the mantis used the distraction to smack the recorder away from Angel and under the fridge. Giles went after the recorder while Willow helped Xander free Blayne. Buffy and Angel engaged the mantis holding it off until Giles threw the recorder to Angel who immediately pressed play.

This time it was the bat sonar and its effects was the immediate.

"Bat sonar makes your senses go to hell, you can go with them" Buffy quipped before she started to slash at the mantis. Once she was certain it was dead she nodded to Angel who stopped the cassette leaving them in silence. Xander then went up to Buffy and grabbed the sword.

"For the record you guys were right I was stupid"

"It didn't seemed fair that she only went after virgins though" Willow said innocently, causing both Blayne and Xander to deny they were virgins .Just as Willow went to say more Xander held up the sword and she fell silent, but Xander just went over to the egg nests and started to hack away at them getting rid of his own anger.

The next night Buffy was having a quite drink at the bar waiting for either her friends or boyfriend to show up.

"Hey" angel said behind her causing Buffy to turn around with a smile on her face.

"Hey"

"At least there is one less vampire out there" He said taking the empty seat next to her.

'You can have your jacket back at least" Buffy said as she began to remove the leather jacket.

"Nah it looks better on you, besides you'll only steal it again" Buffy just rolled her eye's and silenced him a kiss that made the rest of the world melt away.

TBC


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Joss is Boss

This goes out to everyone who has reviewed this story in the past , your continued support helps me continue writing.

It was late at night and the usually silent graveyard was broken by the sounds of a struggle, during their patrol Buffy and Angel had come upon a group of vampires and were now engaged in fighting them. Somehow Buffy had managed to find herself against the leader, who unlike the rest was a capable fighter and was giving her a little trouble, not that it was a bad thing it let her get out some of her frustrations, from her day. Finally she staked him and was cooling down when Giles voice cut in.

"You're taking too long, both of you, it should be stake and move on stake and . . ." he trailed off as he spotted something on the ground mixed up with the ashes of Buffy's latest victim. Curious he picked it up and started to examine it completely forgetting his lecture.

"That's great we kill them while you fence their stuff" Buffy said as she rotated her shoulder, it hurt a little the vamp had managed to get one good hit in, then Angel was there massaging her shoulder like magic the pain went away or that's what it seemed like, meanwhile Giles was completely engorged into his study of the ring he was holding.

"Hmm what, well I think that's a night lets go home before your mother gets too worried" He started off letting the two slayers trail behind him holding hands.

"I wonder what it is" Buffy said to her boyfriend.

"Who knows but it could be important, tonight has an ominous feeling" Angel looked around the silent graveyard looking for anything that could be a danger to them, shrugging off his bad feeling he let Buffy lead him towards her step-fathers car.

A couple of streets over a bus was coming into town bringing four passengers. Everyone was silent and sleepy from their journeys. One passenger a big guy who had the look of a convict about him started to rattle on about god, clearly he was unhinged.

As the bus driver told him to sit down he missed the person stand in the middle of the road right in front of the bus until it was too late, slamming on the brakes the bus swerved and came to a stop, lifting his head slowly from the steering wheel he asked if anyone was hurt before exiting the bus to check on the person he knocked down.

"Hey are you alright?" he asked as he turned the man over, then the vampire lunged biting onto the bus drivers neck as two more attacked the bus killing all inside.

The next morning Giles was still researching the ring as Buffy looked it over as she sat on Angel's lap.

"It looks familiar" Buffy said as she gave it to Angel for a more closer look, she then picked up a book her watcher had just placed down on the table and started flipping through it, stopping on a page she showed it to Angel who smiled and nodded.

"Look here it is the order of Aurlieus" Buffy said placing the book where Giles could see it and pointed to the passage next to a picture of the ring in Angel's hands.

"Of course I wonder what they are doing here" Giles moved off to search for more references to the order.

"Oh a point to the slayers while the watcher still has to score" Buffy said proudly snuggling further into Angel. They didn't notice that someone had entered the library until they were at the service counter.

"Um hey" the boy softly said

"Owen hi" Buffy said while angel just nodded his head in greeting and holding onto Buffy a bit more tightly.

"Can I help you?" Giles asked a bit sharply.

"I'm looking for Emily Dickinson" Owen replied a bit timidly, Giles pointed to the poetry section which was just up the stairs on the left.

As Owen headed up to look for his book Buffy hopped out of Angel's lap and followed, with Angel right beside her keeping an arm around her waist. Buffy didn't need to see his face to know he had his possessive face on; he had done the same thing when she introduced him to Ford back in L.A.

"I didn't really think you guys would hang in here" Owen said trying to make conversation.

"You didn't?" Buffy asked bemused.

"Not that I don't think you are nerdy and I know Giles is your step-dad but you two just don't seem the book type" Owen stumbled a bit slightly embarrassed at his slip.

"You've been thinking on what we like?" Angel asked slightly standing in front of Buffy protectively.

"Not really oh here it is" holding up a book Owen moved off to get it issued by Giles, Buffy glared at Angel and followed Owen again.

"So I guess I'll see you around" Owen told Buffy and left the library nodding to Angel on his way out.

"We need to focus here this order isn't something to be taken lightly." Giles said trying to regain some order; Buffy turned around and placed her hands on her hips.

"Do you have to do that to every boy that looks my way" she asked her boyfriend.

"I'm sorry but half the time I think they are a danger to you and the other half I think they are going to convince you to leave me" Angel confessed looking at the ground.

"Angel" Buffy said softly moving to wrap her arms around him.

"One I can take care of myself, and two none of these boys are even half the person you are so I would never leave you for one of them so ease up ok" She said looking into his eye's Angel smirked slightly before bending his head down to give her a kiss, but before they could make contact Giles slammed a book down on the table startling both the slayers.

"I believe we a have a dangerous order of vampires to research" Giles said firmly to the slightly sheepish looking teens.

The bell went then and both teens looked towards Giles who just told them to go to class but be in here for every break and free they had that day, Buffy just grumbled grabbed her stuff and left the library just as Angel was about to leave Giles told him to watch Buffy. As the dark haired slayer left he couldn't rid his mind of the concern on the watchers face as he mentioned Buffy, and he knew that Giles was not telling them something.

Deep down beneath the day lit town three vampires all dressed alike stood listening to the Master recite a prophecy out of the vampire codex.

"And out of the five shall rise the anointed, and the female slayer will not know him, will not stop him and he will lead her into hell, as it was written so shall it be" The Master stopped reading and glanced briefly at the three vampires before looking back at the book.

"The night before one of the Order will go out and get killed, oh wait that's not written here at all" he slammed the book shut and stalked towards the others.

"We are close to bringing a warrior that will destroy one of the two beings that truly stand in our way and it almost gets ruined because one of you is hungry" As he yells he grabs the closets vamps neck and hauls him closer.

"I'm sorry" he whispered.

"It's alright now go and bring him to me" two left but the master stopped the third and then poked his eye out as penance for the other vampire. Smiling gleefully the master awaited the arrival of his greatest weapon against the slayers, others might not but he remembered that not in 500 years has a male and female slayer worked together and if rumours were true none had ever loved each other, he knew not to underestimate the two young warriors.

Meanwhile in the cafeteria Buffy glanced over at the table Owen was sitting ay and noticed he was all alone motioning to Angel they both got up and went to join him, Angel made it there without incident but as Buffy went to sit next to her boyfriend Cordelia bumped into her intending to make Buffy spill her contents on the floor, but Angel saw and his quick reflexives saved the tray and a embarrassing moment for Buffy, he glowered at Cordelia who promptly ignored it as she spent all he concentration on Owen who was looking at Angel in awe.

"Nice reflexives" he told the ark haired teen.

"Yeah who knew Cordelia's hips were that big" Buffy replied giving Angel a kiss of thanks.

"Owen a bunch of us are going to be at the Bronze tonight, but it wouldn't be the same if you weren't there" Cordelia said ignoring Buffy and Angel.

"Well who else is going to be there?" Owen asked innocently Cordelia looked confused as if she didn't know why she wouldn't be enough to assure his appearance, both Angel and Buffy had to hide their matching smirks.

"I'll be there" Cordelia said as if that was enough, then Owen looked towards Buffy and Angel.

"Are you guys going to be there?" Both teens looked shocked for a moment before Buffy answered for them.

"Yeah, I think we can make it" Cordelia left in a huff while the others made arrangement plans.

That night after a heated argument with Giles who truly believed that the something important that night would happen that night and Buffy wanting to act like a normal teen and go out on a date with her boyfriend once found the two slayers entering the Bronze.

"We really should've gone with Giles" Angel said for the tenth time since they left the house.

"Angel, I have my pager and Willow and Xander are keeping an eye on him, now will you please relax, we are here to have fun, you know the three letter word beginning with f" Buffy gave him a quick kiss then dragged him further into the Bronze they saw Cordelia and Owen dancing, Cordelia was really close but both slayers saw that Owen didn't look all that comfortable and decided to save him.

"Owen hey" Buffy said while Angel just nodded his head in greeting, he never felt all that comfortable in the Bronze but would come here for Buffy and Buffy alone. The trio moved over to the couches and sat down to talk, leaving a completely flummoxed Cordelia standing alone on the dance floor.

Giles in the meantime had managed to get trapped in the funeral home by two vampires of the order, he managed to slip notice by hiding with a dead body in storage. At the moment he was looking for a way to either get out or contact Buffy, he was deep into investigation that he failed to notice Xander and Willow approaching the window.

"Hey Giles" the redhead said cheerfully making the watcher jump.

"We need to get a hold of Buffy, she has her beepy thing" He paused to take another quick look around.

"Of course there is no phone in here"

Xander tried pulling the wire mesh in front of the window but it held firm.

"Hold still we'll got get Buffster and Angel"

"Yeah Mrs Giles or Buffy will ever forgive us if we let something happen to you, and you know how Angel gets when Buffy is upset." With that the two teens left as Giles just stood there praying the vamps would be too lazy to do another search of the premises.

It didn't take long for Willow and Xander to reach the Bronze though it took them a couple of minutes to locate the two slayers they were just leaving the dance floor and rejoining Owen at the couches.

"Hey Angel I didn't know you danced" Willow said as they approached, with Owen there they had to act as normal as possible.

"He only dances to slow songs" Buffy said

"And only with Buffy" Angel added being the male slayer he had slightly better hearing then Buffy and he could hear Xander's and Willow's racing hearts betraying their calmer faces.

"You know we just came from seeing Giles, he said he needed your help on that project with the funeral homes in Sunnydale" Xander emphasised some of the words to get the message over to Angel and Buffy.

"Right well Owen this was fun we should do it again, but with all of us next time" Buffy said as she started to head towards the exit.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Owen asked following slightly.

"No no stay here" Willow said as Buffy and Angel were already far ahead of everyone else.

If it didn't take a long time for Willow and Xander to reach the Bronze it took Buffy and Angel only seconds to get to the funeral home. Upon entering they could sense vamps but didn't see any, they went right but that only led them to a dead end when they turned a round they all jumped when they saw Owen standing right behind them.

"What are you doing here" Angel hissed the fool boy could put everyone in danger.

"I could ask you the same you know" Owen retaliated. Suddenly they all heard a noise Buffy looked at Angel and silently they nodded moving off as one they went to check it out.

'Are they mad at me?" Owen asked Willow

"Buffy no, Angel most likely" Xander answered

"So where did they go" Owen moved off trying to find the other two teens.

"Oh they went to see if there was any" Xander paused trying to find a word.

"Security Guards you know they don't want too get caught, we shouldn't exactly be in here." Willow said quickly. Owen seemed to accept the answer and slowly the trio moved quietly down another hall.

Buffy and Angel hadn't found any vampires or security guards but they did managed to find Giles, they loaded up on weapons while trying to find a way to get the others out of there safely and preferably without Owen seeing any vampires.

"Are you going to tell all your friends about yourself?" Giles asked Buffy a bit angrily.

"She didn't bring him, he just came" Angel said defending his girlfriend.

"Yes well come on we must find this anointed one, we do not want the master getting him" They searched all the storage compartments, most had bodies in them one just had parts and a few had no one at all inside.

"It doesn't look like he's here, unless they keep dead bodies somewhere else" just as Buffy finished speaking they heard glass breaking and people screaming.

Buffy and Angel ran towards the sounds a found a big looking vampire in trousers only stalking after their friends, they managed to get his attention and they drew him back towards the room Giles was in. The vampire managed to get a couple of good hits in sending Angel into Giles knocking them both down, and Buffy into the incinerator turning it on and opening the door in the process.

Angel recovered first and jumped onto the vamps back wrapping his arms around the vamps head trying distract him while Buffy staked him, however the vamp was stronger then they thought and he managed to get the dark haired slayer off him and proceeded to Buffy wrapping a hand around her throat he lifted her off the ground and began to slowly choke her.

Buffy was starting to lose conscious but she heard someone shout her name and then the pressure around her throat was gone ans she watched in shock as Owen tried to fight the vampire alone, the vamp who most likely was this anointed one quickly over powered the normal teen and went in to bite him, but once again Angel was there hitting the vamp over the head Buffy joined in and they managed to kick him onto a examination table that rolled the vamp right into the incinerator Giles quickly closed the door and the room was filled with the vamps pained filled screams.

Buffy turned to Angel to make sure he was ok to see he was doing the same as one they moved and gave each other a deep reassuring kiss, when they broke apart they saw Willow and Xander helping Owen to his feet thee vamp must of knocked him out for a bit. Willow and Xander took him home as it seemed he didn't exactly want to be around Angel or Buffy at the moment. The watcher and slayers stood in silence for a moment before to exiting the building to go and get some rest.

The next day on the way to their next class the gang bumped into Owen, to their shock he asked if they were planning on doing something like last night again. Buffy came up with the decision that Owen shouldn't hang around them any more. Xander and Willow headed off while Angel wrapped his arms around Buffy.

"You know it would've been nice to have at least one friend who we didn't put in danger regularly just for who we are" Buffy mumbled into her boyfriends choice.

"Could we really though, Xander and Willow know the score, they know when to back off if its too dangerous, but Owen would've got killed within a week hanging with us" He smoothed back her hair and gently kissed her forehead before taking her hand and led her to class.

"At least we stopped The Master from getting the anointed one" Buffy said happily.

"Yeah I bet he isn't to happy wherever he is" Angel replied they walked the rest of the way in silence enjoying the moment of normality.

Down in the Master's lair he was reciting the prophecy again as he walked towards a little boy, bending down he held out his hand and the boy took it without hesitation.

"Welcome Collin" The anointed one was alive.

A.N I know some events didn't happen exactly as the episode but this one was giving me some hassle as we know Buffy goes on a date with Owen on the actual show but of course in this she is already dating Angel, so I tried to incorporate as much of the episode as I could while still making this some of my own. Hope you enjoy and I hope I didn't destroy the episode for anyone.


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Joss is Boss

It was a bright sunny California day, and Buffy's class was on a field trip to the zoo, she had lost track of Willow and Xander and Giles had somehow managed to keep Angel from going, she had asked if it was slayer related and if she was needed but Giles waved her off, so here she was alone and watching some type of animal.

"Hey look its Buffy with all her friends" Buffy rolled her eye's as Kyle the school bad ass indicated that she was all alone to his friends, who got into as much trouble as he did.

"That's witty" 'have these people forgotten that I have a boyfriend who could knock them all out without breaking a sweat'

"Were you this popular at your old school, you know before you got kicked out" Buffy had to think of Angel topless just to keep her from reacting, the group headed off to terrorize another student, from the look of things it seemed like it was one of their regulars.

She saw Principal Flutie come up and try to diffuse the situation as Xander and Willow came up to her.

"Hey you missed it" Willow chirped happily, it wasn't really the animals that got her all happy but the little alone time with Xander, he hadn't even mentioned Buffy once.

"Missed what" she didn't really care but was always happy to pretend for her friends.

"We saw a couple of Zebra's mating it was very exciting thank you" Xander could see that Buffy wasn't really with them but he put it down to Angel missage.

"And I missed it, yet strangely I feel like I can go on with the world." Buffy knew there wasn't any enthusiasm in her voice but she really couldn't make herself care.

"I'm getting the feeling that your not exactly in the field trip spirit here" Buffy held back her smile she sometimes forgot that her friends could read her easily, not as good as Angel but enough to know that she wasn't exactly happy.

"It's just I took the exact same field trip in L.A, you know same old same old"

"Plus Angel isn't here" Willow added earning a little smile from Buffy and Xander to roll his eyes.

"Buffy this isn't just about animals, it's about not being in class" Xander cut in trying to lighten the mood.

"Your right suddenly the animals look all shiny and new" Buffy looked around feeling a little better.

A commotion up ahead caught their attention, they looked up in time to see Kyle and his buddies leading the student from before Lance Buffy thought his name was into the Hyena house that was sectioned off by yellow tape.

Buffy was going to see what they had planned but Xander stopped her and went instead, Willow and Buffy shared a look before following him, just as they got under the tape they got caught by the main zookeeper. They both waited nervously, they saw Lance run out of the building and a few minutes later Xander walked out confidently and seemingly unharmed, what really shocked the girls was Kyle and the others following him out without taunting or saying much.

Buffy had a strange feeling creep up her spine as Xander approached them but shrugged it off to the others weird behaviour, they spent the rest of afternoon wandering around the zoo not really paying much attention to anything, Buffy didn't really notice anything wrong with Xander except that he was unusually quiet but she had other things on her mind, mostly why Giles needed Angel and not her. Willow noticed however that her best friend was definitely not himself. Finally it was time to head back to school and as Buffy got on the bus she thought she felt Xander sniff her hair but shrugged it off.

When Buffy and Willow entered the library they saw Angel putting his shirt back on and Giles holding an a vile full of blood not even thinking Buffy rushed up to her boyfriend and checked him over for injuries while Willow just looked at Giles confused.

"Angel what's wrong?" Buffy was so panicked that she didn't see her boyfriend smile and place his hands gently on her face to make her look at his face.

'I'm fine just due for a check up, that's why I didn't go with you today, you wouldn't believe some of the things he got me to do" Angel saw Buffy relax at his words and he placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Yes well now that's all cleared up, how was your trip" Giles asked the two girls.

"It was so cool me and Xander saw these two Zebra's mating and we had to stop Buffy from beating up some kids" At this Giles and Angel turned their attention back to Buffy who tried to put on an innocent face that didn't fool either man.

"They were sorta asking for it, besides it doesn't matter cuz Xander sorted it out" Buffy would've laughed at their expressions if she didn't remember that weird feeling she had got off Xander. The phone rang as Giles went off to answer it the girls told Angel more about the zoo trip.

It was Joyce who had called wondering if they were going to stay late in the library, Giles assured her that they were on the way and inquired if there was enough for Willow, Joyce just laughed and replied that she now always cooks extra as either Willow or Xander or both were always there for dinner.

The teens watched the watcher do a couple of last minute things before they left the library for the night. At dinner Giles said that due to Angel having a check up he was giving both him and Buffy the night off and since they hadn't been there in a while the three teens decided to go to the Bronze. They called up Xander and he said he would meet them there.

At the Bronze they had managed to find a table, but only two seats, Buffy fixed the problem by sitting Angel down then placing herself in his lap and wrapping his arms around her. They had been there a while Willow telling Angel all about Buffy missing him that day much to the blonde slayer's embarrassment when Xander finally showed up.

He was for once dressed decently with a dark coloured shirt and a pair of jeans, there was an air about him that made girls look towards him instead of away as they usually did, he walked up to the table and took a bite of Buffy's croissant and a sip of her drink abruptly he pulled a face and swallowed the food.

"Ugh what do you call this?"

"It was my buttery croissant and diet cola" Buffy said taken aback by his rude behaviour and she could feel that strange feeling again she looked to Angel to see if he could feel anything and saw he was staring at Xander intently.

Unmindful of the fact that she was sitting in her boyfriends lap Xander lent over and sniffed her hair.

"And the weird behaviour award goes too" Buffy said looking at Xander while holding onto Angel's arms so he wouldn't hit the boy.

"You had a bath" Xander stated

"Yeah I usually do" Buffy looked over to Willow who looked just as confused as she did.

"That's good" Xander suddenly put all his attention on the door and a few seconds later Kyle and his friends walked through it, Buffy sat up a bit and looked to Angel again he looked into her eyes and he nodded, he too felt the strange feeling intensify.

Kyle and his buddies walked right pass there table all of them just stared at Xander and to the others shock he wasn't backing down just stared them down as they went by. They came up to a table where an overweight teen sat.

"What are you doing sitting at our table?" Kyle asked

"Yeah shouldn't you be hovering above the field with Goodyear on you" Rhonda teases making the others laugh but what really shocked Buffy was when Xander laughed along with them.

"What?" Xander asked in question to he's friends disbelieving glares

"The kid's fat"

For the rest of the night there was a slight tension, which caused Buffy and Angel to leave early.

The next day Buffy was training for Giles instead of Angel, she couldn't really focus however and some of her kicks were sloppy, Giles however as starting to ache and was glad his wife knew of his real occupation and wouldn't ask questions about the numerous bruises that he was sure was decorating his body, as Buffy went to kick again he suddenly pulled back and she halted her kick.

"I think that's enough training for the day" Giles stated out of breath.

"Are you sure I've only done half of what I normal do with Angel, and that last roundhouse was kind of sloppy" Giles assured her that she had done enough and sent her along to class as he went to put ice on his arms.

Buffy was halfway to class when she heard a commotion behind her turning around she saw student s jumping to the side of the hallway and Principal Flutie breaking his rule about running in the halls, looking down she saw the cause for all the distress crouching down she caught and stopped the little pink pig in its tracks.

"Oh thank goodness you stopped him, naughty Herbert, you gave Principal Flutie quite a scare didn't you" He then noticed all the students that had gathered around which Buffy noticed included Angel, he had gone with Joyce to give her some help at gallery for a show that weekend.

"Students I like you to meet our new mascot Herbert" the principal announced a few of the students applauded and Angel went over to scratch the pigs head, and to stand closer to his girlfriend, who was absorbed with the little piglet in her arms.

"He's so cute" Buffy exclaimed she looked into her boyfriends eyes and he smiled at the complete innocence and happiness in her eyes.

"He's not cute he's a ferocious warrior" Principal Flutie exclaimed and again some students applauded and cheered.

"He doesn't exactly look mean" Angel commented then he spotted the foam cut outs in the principals hands, everyone watched as the principal but a green razor spine on Herbert and some tusks as well, soon though the principal sent everyone to class but as Buffy tried to hand Herbert back to the principal the piglet started to panic so Flutie just got her and Angel to follow him to Herbert's cage. All the way there he talked about school spirit and how things were in the old days.

It began to rain and by the time they had Gym it was pouring, so the coach declared that they were going to play doge ball, Buffy, Angel and Willow were on team while Xander, Kyle and the others were on the other, Angel felt that strange feeling and when he focused it seemed to be radiating from Xander and the bunch of kids that had entered the Bronze the night before.

"Watch out" he muttered to Buffy who nodded and squeezed his hand, though what they could do with everyone around was beyond her.

The Game began it was hard and brutal it was pure doge ball take no prisoners, that's how Xander's team seem to be playing, though when did Xander get so good at any sport was the question, he dodged every ball easily and helped take out most of the students on Buffy's team, the slayers however weren't giving up and between the two of them managed to even things up.

Buffy almost got knocked out of the game when she saw Xander hit Willow with the ball, the look in his eyes made her think of a vampire in a hunt, predatory and calculating, Angel's quick warning managed to save her, she looked over to her boyfriend and realised they were the only ones left while on the other team was Xander, Kyle and his bunch and strangely enough Lance.

Angel and Buffy prepared themselves for the others to start throwing balls, and both were shocked when they turned and started to attack Lance, even when the boy was on the ground they didn't give up, it took a few moments for them to get over the shock of Xander doing something like that before they rushed over and helped lance up. Both Buffy and Angel gave them a challenging stare the kind that made most vamps back down, but Xander just smirked and walked off with Kyle's group.

They shared a look there was something definitely hellmouthy going on, they just didn't know what but both silently agreed they wouldn't give up till Xander was back to his old self.

TBC


	11. Chapter 10

Willow waited for Xander to come out of the changing rooms she wanted to know what was going on in his head, he had never acted like this before. Her thoughts were cut off when she saw him approaching with Kyle and the others. Willow watched how he walked, like some sort of predator, she sometimes saw Angel walk like that on patrol, Buffy too, but seeing the docile Xander walk like it gave her major wiggins as Buffy would say.

"Xander" She saw he give the others a sort of annoyed bored look before coming over, his new friends not far behind.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked softly.

Xander looked towards the others again and moved closer to Willow leading her a little away, he almost looks like the old Xander.

"I guess you know I've been acting differently lately" at her nod he continues, though he sees Buffy moving towards her locker and for once she was without her beloved boyfriend smiling slightly he returns his attention to Willow.

"I think it's because my feelings towards you have changed, we've been friends for a long time and I think I should tell you something." he pauses again the whole time his voice had been soft and gentle, hiss eyes never leaving hers.

I've decided to drop geography, so I won't be needing you help with maths anymore, which means I won't ever have to see your pasty face again" He said the last part loudly so anyone in the corridor could hear, he saw the pain in Willow's eyes but was surprised that she wasn't already crying she just pushed past him and the cackling group behind him, it didn't take Xander long to join his pack in the laughter, that's what they were now and for once his was the alpha dog.

Out the corner of his eye he saw Buffy slam her locker door and head towards him, she was in full slayer fury and any sensible being would've backed off but it only increased his desire for her, looking him straight in the eye she spoke to him in a cold voice that would've frozen anyone on the warmest day.

"Do you have something to say to me?" He looked at her for a bit before he started to crack up laughing again, the pack following his lead they headed off towards the quad still cackling. Buffy watched them go anger in her eye's and worry for Willow. Thinking of Willow Buffy headed off to find the red head.

As Buffy was looking for Willow, Xander and the pack was looking for lunch, Xander caught a scent of meat.

"What is it?" Kyle asked

"Dog's" Xander replied and headed off towards a table of boys talking about a band. They noticed Xander's approached and besides from acknowledging their presence tried to forget the others were there.

"Hey Xander you've seen Wretched Refuse, what do you think of their lead" he was cut off when Heidi the blonde female took his hot dog and took a bite.

"Hey what gives" One of Adams friends exclaimed.

"Your sharing" Kyle said and Xander smirked.

"Friends like to share" then he turned to t Heidi and Tor and saw that they were spitting out what they had bitten.

"Too cooked" Tor said to Xander, just as the pack leader caught another scent smirking he started off the pack following him smirking when they caught the same scent.

The classroom was empty except for one occupant in a little cage. Herbert started to squeal as he felt the pack gather around his cage, Xander looked down menacingly and smiled.

"Lets do Lunch" The pack tore into the cage and started on the pig, the only sounds were Herbert's squeals and the packs cackling.

Once they had finished with the little piglet they headed out into the school, students moved out of their way as they headed back to the quad, Xander caught a sound as well as a pleasing scent, looking up he saw Buffy and Willow talking on the balcony.

"I've know him my whole life Buffy, we haven't always been close, but he's never" Willow's voice trailed off as she tried to reign in her tears, Buffy looked at her with sympathy.

"I think there is something wrong with him" Buffy said trying to express her theory with Willow but the redhead was clearly in some pain and was having some issues with her self esteem.

"Or maybe there's something wrong with me" she responded quietly.

"What" Buffy asked completely shocked at the statement

"Come on he's not picking on you, just sniffing you a lot."

"You think this has something to do with me?" Buffy asked clearly not getting the point.

"Of course" Willow stated some of the anger at all the attention Xander had been giving Buffy even though she had Angel came through in that statement.

"Well that doesn't explain why he's hanging out with the dode patrol. No there's something going on here, something weird" Buffy finished and the redhead looked slightly better.

"What are going to do?" Willow was now hopeful that Xander's behaviour could be just some mystical event.

"Find Angel and go speak to the expert on weird" Buffy replied smiling.

Buffy found Angel in the Library apparently he had the same idea as her and came to talk to Giles about it, except he wasn't there. They waited for a bit Angel holding Buffy close. Giles finally entered with Joyce on one arm and a cup of tea in the other, they both stopped when they spotted the two slayers.

"Angel, Buffy what's the matter?" Joyce asked seeing their worried expressions,

"We believe that Xander is under some mystical influence" Angel said holding Buffy tighter, this is why civilians shouldn't get involved with them, they always get hurt. Buffy quickly explained the situation and both slayers were shocked when the adults shared a smile.

"So Xander's taken to teasing the less fortunate?" Giles said

"Yes" Angel and Buffy said.

"And there's been a noticeable change in clothing and demeanour?" Joyce continued her face blank.

"Uh huh" the slayers replied

"And otherwise he's spending all his time with complete imbeciles?" Giles finished

"It's bad isn't it?" Buffy asked

""It's disastrous, he's turned into a sixteen year old boy" Joyce told them finally letting the smile back out, while both slayers shook their head, why did adults never understand.

"Of course you'll have to kill him" Giles said continuing with the joke, which caused Buffy to react, se was sick of no one but Angel believing her when she felt when something wasn't right, she was the female slayer for heavens sake, they couldn't take her seriously for once.

"Giles' we're serious" she all but shouted, which caused the too adults to calm some what.

"So am I Buffy, except for the killing part, testosterone turns all men into moron's he will however get over it" Giles said trying to sooth her.

"I can't believe that you of all people are trying to Scully us." Angel said

"There is something supernatural at work here, get your books look stuff up" Buffy continued.

"Look under what?" Joyce asked starting to get a little annoyed with their behaviour.

"I don't know that's his department" Buffy said using her thumb to point at Giles.

Giles took a deep breathe before turning to his step-daughter, he tried to calm her down.

"But the evidence you present is" He was cut off by Buffy who looked like she had just got a prize for most vampires dusted.

"He scared the pig" she said a little to happily, at everyone's look she deflated a little, though she could tell Angel was more amused then anything, and was happy when he stuck up for her.

"Well he did" Joyce and Giles shred a look this was going to be more difficult then they thought.

"Buffy, Angel boy's can be cruel, they tease, they prey on the weak, it's natural teen …" Joyce was cut off by Buffy there was something she had said that seemed to trigger something in her daughters mind, she watched while Angel and Buffy did the creepy mind speak with their eyes before Buffy spoke.

"What did you say?" She wanted to make sure.

"Uh they tease" Joyce started when getting cut off this time by Angel.

'They prey on the weak, from what Buffy has told me Xander started to act" he paused then to grimace slightly making Buffy giggle.

"Wiggy after they went to the zoo." He motioned Buffy to continue she gave him a quick kiss for using her words before turning back to her parents to see both were listening intently.

"He and Kyle and the others went into the Hyena house, god that laugh" she shivered as she remembered the cackling her brunette hair friend did.

"So your suggesting that somehow Xander's become a Hyena?" Giles asked softly.

"Or been, I don't possessed by one some how, and not just him, all of them." Angel summed up. Everyone turned to Giles who was deep in thought.

"Well I never heard of" This time they were stopped by the library doors being flung open and a distressed looking Willow entering.

"They found Herbert" she said not making much sense to anyone.

"Herbert the pig?" Angel asked wondering what this had to do with anything.

"Did and eaten, Principal Flutie is freaking out" Willow showed no sign of calming down so Joyce walked over and placed her arm around the young girls shoulders. Buffy couldn't help but smile, there was no on else like her mom, she could calm down the most distressed person with just a few words or gestures.

"Eaten by what?" This was giving some hard evidence towards Buffy and Angel's theory.

"By whom" No one knew the red head could sound so ominous. There was a pause as the meaning stuck in, and Buffy just looked at her parents all amusement gone from her face.

"Testosterone huh" shaking her she made her way back to Angel who just held her close. Giles had the grace to look a little sheepish as he headed towards his office.

"Where are you going?" His wife asked. Giles turned around and gave a pointed look towards Buffy.

"Get my books, look stuff up" he informed then continued towards his office.

Outside all the students were heading home, except for the pack, minus Xander were just sitting at one of the tables harassing some of the other students as they walked by them. Principal Flutie came up to them obviously upset.

"You four" he shouted they all look at him not caring about the state he was in.

"What now?" Kyle asked looking bored.

"Don't think I don't know, three students recognized you outside Herbert's room" Flutie was torn between disgust and anger and how they were acting now pushed his anger over his limit.

"How is Herbert?" Rhoda asks causing the others to laugh.

"Crunchy" Heidi responds making everyone to laugh harder, and to make the principal completely lose it.

"That's it my office right now" They seemed to hesitate, but Kyle finally decided to move so the others followed suit, looking calm and collected while Flutie rambled on.

"You guys are going to have so much detention, that your grandchildren will be staying after school"

Progress was going slow in the library, Buffy, Willow and Angel sat at the table books and empty soda cans surrounding them. Buffy opened a book and spotted a passage on hyena's.

"Hey checked this out" she said to the other two, they both leaned over to skim while Buffy read it.

"Apparently Noah reject Hyenas from the Ark cause he believed they were an evil, impure mix of cats and dogs." Buffy stopped reading Willow looked unhappy and Angel had a worried look on his face, he reached over and grasped her hand.

"Hyenas aren't very well liked" Willow absently commented while reaching for a donut, but doesn't eat it just stares at it.

"Though do seem to be the shmoes of the animal kingdom' Buffy said trying to keep the conversation light and her mind off Xander's predicament, some of her emotion must of shown cause Angel gave her hand a light squeeze.

"Why couldn't Xander get possessed by fluffy bunnies or something" Willow scolded their friend half heartedly.

"That's assuming possession is the right word" Angel said though he couldn't think of what else it could be, over the past couple of months he had grown to like the other male teen, even though his crush on Buffy sometimes didn't help, still he was the first male friend he really had, and wanted to help him. This time Buffy gave his hand a squeeze, he looked over at her and gave a slight smile.

"I say it's the right word" they looked up to see Giles coming out of his office Joyce following behind him looking pleased at the find.

"The Masai of the Serengeti has spoken of animal possession for generations, I should have remembered that" he admitted, but neither slayer had a smug look on their face just mutual concern for their friend though he was shocked that Willow was thoughtful.

"Buffy didn't that zookeeper mention something about the Masai, and of Hyenas calling your name?" Willow thought she was correct but thought it might have more strength coming from the slayer.

"Right he did" she then turned her attention to her watcher.

'So how does it work?" Angel asked before she could it did sometimes seem that they could read each others minds.

Giles started to ramble on about a bunch of people called Primals, and how they thought the animal spirit was holey and through some sort of trans-possession were able to transfer animal spirits into them. The briefing was rather short for Giles and Joyce gave him a proud look, for doing it she seemed to realize that all the teenagers were concerned with was Xander and not some lesson about some tribe.

"So they started to act like Hyenas?" Buffy wanted to make sure she was clicking right.

"Well only the most predatory of animals were of interest, so yes that would seem right" Joyce said shocking the others, she just crossed her arms and frowned, she could read as well as her husband.

"So what happens to the person once the spirit is within them" Angel asked and he didn't like the look Giles gave them.

"If it goes unchecked" he handed the book over to Buffy who took one look from and went pale. Shutting the book quickly she rose and headed out of the library.

"I have to find Xander" she said and left to go do her self imposed task.

Out the corner of his eye he saw Willow pick up the book and saw that she went pale and looked towards the door as if she wanted to go with Buffy, Angel gingerly took the book from the redhead and saw a gruesome picture men feeding off each other.

Buffy decided to check the former mascots room, for any clue to what she was dealing with, and where they could have gone. When she entered she was shocked at the mess inside, all the tables and chairs had been knocked over and in the middle of it all was the ruined caged.

Treading carefully she made her way over to it half whishing that Angel had come with her, she crouched down to examine the cage, she touched a part of the cage where the bars were either broken or bent of out shape.

"So strong" she muttered then she noticed a second shadow over hers, standing up slowly she turned around and saw the person she was looking for, though right now she wanted him to be elsewhere.

"Xander" Buffy softly said as she backed away a little from her friend, this wasn't going to be easy.

In the principal's office Flutie was still raging and making threats about calling parents, all the while never noticing how the pack had started to surrounded him, it wasn't until Rhoda got up on his desk that he realised he was in some sort of danger, though he tried to remain calm and in control.

"What are you doing, get down this instant" Rhoda just ignored him and the others started to laugh and make hunting noises. He reached for the phone only to have Tor beat him to it, the blonde teen then handed it back to the principal and just as he started to dial, they pounced on him. His screams went unheard and soon they dimmed down into nothingness.

Buffy stared at Xander who still hadn't made a sound, just stood there smiling at her, she feigned to the door, he copied her movements and it became clear that she wasn't going anywhere, so she relaxed a little.

"This is ridiculous we need to talk" as she said the last word she dived at him taking himm to the ground and pinned him there, he just smiled at her.

'I've been waiting for you to jump my bones for a long time" the shock of his words was enough distraction for Xander to roll so he was on top, Buffy truly started to fear her friend and his intentions.

"Get off me" she said coldly.

"Is that what you really want, we both know what you want" Xander stopped as Buffy tried to get him off her but Xander didn't budge an inch.

"You want danger right, you like your men dangerous don't you" This was severely becoming a dangerous situation for Buffy.

"Xander look your infected with some sort of Hyena thing, like some sort of demonic possession." She tried reaching out to the human Xander but all she could see was the Hyena in her friend.

"Dangerous and mean right, just like Angel, your slayer boyfriend, well guess who just got mean." Buffy really started to panic and somehow managed to get him off her though she didn't get far. Xander grabbed her and pushed her against the wall.

"You're sick Xander that's all" Buffy was still trying to reach her friend no matter how pointless it seemed she tried not to let her fear over take her, but for some reason her slayer strength didn't seem as effective as normal.

"I don't wanna hurt you Xander" That only made Xander shove her harder against the wall.

"That make you want to hurt me? C'mon slayer I like it when you're scared" he paused to lean in closer and take a big sniff.

"The more scared you get, the better you smell" then he kissed her roughly then just as suddenly his body went limp and Buffy saw her boyfriend standing there with a dangerous look in his eye, Buffy rushed into him, letting him take away all her fear.

"I got a bad feeling and came to find you, are you ok?" he looked over for injuries but couldn't see any. Buffy just nodded into his chest letting his comfort wash over her for a little longer, before turning around to face Xander.

"I'm fine but I don't know bout Xand here, c'mon help me lift him" Angel was still angry at the male for kissing his girlfriend with clear intentions for more, but he knew that it was just the possession that was making act like that, so he went and grabbed an arm, and the two slayers easily carried him back to the library.

"Willow and Joyce were sitting down doing more research on Hyena's and talking slightly when Buffy and Angel came in. Willow jumped up when they saw Xander being carried between them.

"Oh my god what happened?" she brushed his hair from his face and was reminded of how he normally was.

"Angel hit him" Buffy stated as they dropped Xander into the cage, Buffy went out first Angel followed closely closing and locking the door.

"Angel why did you hit him?" Joyce asked softly she had never even heard of him attacking anything but forces of evil.

"He was kissing Buffy against her will" Both women then looked towards the blonde slayer with concern but she just shrugged it off.

"He's not himself" looking around she noticed that Giles wasn't there, and then and voiced her observation.

"Emergency staff meeting" Joyce answered.

"What are we going to do about Xander , we can't leave him like this." Willow's loyalty towards her friends sometimes shocked Buffy who never had such a friend before.

"We can't do much at the moment, besides I'm worried about what the rest of the pack is up to." Angel said and Buffy nodded in agreement, Angel was standing behind her with his arms around her wais holding her to him.

"The rest of the pack were spotted outside Herbert's the mascots cage, and were sent to the principals office" everyone jumped when Giles had started talking, none of them had noticed his entry, Joyce became concerned,, he had his glasses in one hand and was rubbing his head with the other.

"Good that will show them" Willow said happily, then she saw the librarians face and felt her own drop.

"Did it show them?" Willow wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to know, unbidden the picture of the men eating each other came into her mind.

"They didn't hurt him?" Buffy could sense the bad news and felt Angel hold her tighter, she brought her hands up and rested them onto of his and her mom went over to her husband.

"They ate him" Giles said bluntly, Joyce gasped and a hand flew to her mouth, Giles turned to his wife and gathered her into his arms, while the others just stood there in shock.

"They ate Principal Flutie" Buffy couldn't believe how small her voice sounded she shared a dumbfounded expression with Willow before looking back at Giles, she noticed that Angel and her grips had tightened and if they weren't slayer's would've been hurting each other.

"The official theory is that wild dogs had gotten into his office somehow, there was no one at the scene." Giles looked grim and none could fault him, he subconsciously rubbed his wife's back, as he talked.

A dark thought came to Willow who quickly turned to Buffy.

"But Xander didn't, I mean he was with you" she didn't want to remind Angel about Xander's plans for Buffy but she had to know, Buffy just nodded.

"That's a small mercy" Giles softly said he had seen the boy on is entry but his news had pushed it to the back of the mind until Willow brought it up.

"Giles how do you un trans-possess someone?" Angel asked, e hoped there was a way or they might just have to kill Xander and the others to stop them from hurting others or each other.

Giles thought hard and started thinking out loud, he knew of a way to transfer the spirit into another human, but that's not what they were after, they somehow need ed to get the Hyena back into the Hyena.

"You know I bet that zookeeper knows more then he was letting on, why don't we go pay him a visit" they were about to head off when Joyce pointed out that someone should stay with Xander, In the end it was decided that Joyce and Willow would stay while the watcher and slayers went to the zoo, both slayers went for more intimidation and protection for Giles even though it might ad been better for one to stay behind. Besides Angel wasn't of mind to be away from Buffy at the moment.

They got to the zoo as quickly as Giles' car could take, all the while the two slayers wished they had taken Joyce's jeep. They meet up with the zookeeper, and him and Giles got into a deep discussion about the Hyena's and trans-possession until Buffy called for a time out that's when the zookeeper pointed out that if one member of the pack was missing once the other's had eaten and rested they would search for their missing member.

Buffy was gone before anyone knew it, Giles not far behind her and cursing his car for not going any faster, Angel managed to catch up to Buffy and soon they were at the school, they heard some banging and saw two of the pack members looking in classrooms, the sneaked pass them and headed up a corridor, they saw Xander in a class room, with a scared looking Joyce in front of him they couldn't see Willow. They saw Giles come next to them.

"We have to do something" Giles whispered as low as he could, he feared for his wife and was trying not to do something stupid. Angel looked around and saw a fire extinguisher, he pointed it out to Buffy who retrieved it and moved up behind Xander and with all her strength hit him with it, he went down and the other two came running down with the rest of the pack on their heels, they all went into the classroom, moving Xander out of it who was starting to get up, and closed the door.

The banging went on for a few minutes but Angel and Buffy were able to hold the door while Giles shared a rather passionate kiss with his wife, they saw Willow get up from behind the desk and pull a face at the adults, Buffy couldn't help her chuckle.

"Welcome to my world, they do this all the time at home, when you and Xand aren't there" Giles and Joyce stopped kissing but didn't remove their arms from around each other. Suddenly the banging stopped and Angel pressed an ear to the door listening for any movement in case it was decoy.

"They've left" he stated sharing a look with Buffy.

'It could be a trap" Willow pointed out but Buffy just shook her head.

"No they've gone to find someone weaker, look we need to get them to the zoo, you three go and get things ready with the zookeeper, while me and Angel draw them away." She was in full slayer mode and Angel didn't believe anything could look more beautiful.

"Guy's be careful, they're almost as strong as you are now" Joyce informed them.

"We know but I think they are getting stupider" Angel said as he opened the door and the two slayers went hunting for the pack.

When Giles, Joyce and Willow got to the zoo they headed to the Hyena house where the zookeeper was waiting for them, Giles kept Willow outside for two separate reasons, one to keep an eye out for Buffy and Angel he had a feeling they wouldn't get much of a warning and the other, he felt a powerful magical spark within the young woman and didn't want her exposed to strong magic's at the moment not until he knew more of what he was dealing with.

Joyce and Giles entered the building all seemed quiet then the zookeeper came out of sn employees door, dressed in the Sharman ceremonial robes. Giles looked on the floor and saw that the pentagram had already been drawn then something dawned on him, for the first trans-possession the pentagram would've had to been there as well, except that didn't make any sense unless someone else was trying have the spirit of the Hyena in them, he looked at the zookeeper and realization came to him, he turned to warn his wife but it was too late, the zookeeper/Sharman had already knocked, her out, and before he could call out to Willow his world went black.

Willow waited outside alert for any sign of Buffy and Angel or vampires, she had a hold on to her cross even though she didn't know how much good it will do her, but it was better then nothing. She heard what sounded like running feet and waited for a few more seconds to make sure she hadn't imagine the sound, when the sound got closer and she actually saw Buffy and Angel moving inhumanly fast, she ran inside to inform the others. She got halfway across the floor when the Sharman grabbed her from behind and held a knife to her throat.

"So your going to pretend to slit my throat and then put the spirit back in the Hyenas?" She asked hopefully but there was something about the guy and the lack of Giles or Joyce that made her nervous.

"Something like that" the tone of voice of his voice just made her all the more nervous.

Buffy and Angel ran in and stopped and when they saw Willow being held with a knife to her throat, she managed to yell that it was trap before the pack ran in and tackled them to the ground, the Sharman said an incantation, and all the packs eyes glowed before they got off Buffy and Angel looking confused. Xander looked up to see Willow in trouble he didn't even think just tackled the guy away from his best friend.

Buffy got up and took in her surroundings, Angel was up and brushing his clothes off, Kyle and the others were no where to be seen and Xander just tackled the zookeeper away from Willow, it seemed like he was back to normal, she saw the zookeeper push Xander away and faced Her and Angel. They took turns attacking him trying to keep him guessing, Buffy managed to get between him and the Hyenas he rushed her and she flipped him into the enclosure.

Everyone turned away as the Hyenas started to feed on the man, Buffy turned around and finally noticed something she failed to see before.

"Will, where are my parents?" she couldn't help be nervous but if that man had done anything at all well there couldn't be anything more she could do to him, the hyenas saw to that. Just as she started to panic her parents emerged from behind a door Giles supporting Joyce, she rushed over to help them.

Angel went over to make sure Willow and Xander were alright since Buffy was preoccupied with her family, he smiled at the picture they made and is smile grew when she looked over and gave him one of the most loving smiles he had seen from her before he returned his attention to their friends.

Xander seemed confused about the past couple of days, and felt that he had eaten something that hadn't agreed with him, Angel and Willow shared a small smile but decided to leave mentioning some of his actions until the next day. They all headed out to go get some rest.

That night Angel was lying in his bed, he couldn't really sleep all he could think about was what would've happened if he hadn't gotten to Buffy in time when Xander was still being controlled by the hyena.

"I would've stopped him" Angel sat up and spotted Buffy by his door, he lifted up his sheets and scooted over, she came over and climbed into his bed they had done this before after a particularly difficult patrol, they didn't do anything just held each other to reassure the other that they are ok. Angel felt Buffy's breathing even and let her heartbeat drift him off as well.

The next day the girls were filling in Xander about some of his recent activities, also how the deputy principal was taking over before they could find a new one.

The others headed off in one direction as Xander heading off into the other bumping into Giles on the way.

"You know Xander I was going over animal possession and never did I read about the person losing their memories" Xander gulped and paused.

"You haven't told them that have you"

"No and I don't intend to, though I warn you know you ever do anything to Buffy like you did possessed or not again, Angel wont have time to get you." Xander paled and nodded he watched the watcher walk off promising internally not to even look at Buffy with anything but a friendly look for at least a month.

TBC

Wow I know at the end I put Ripper in and he doesn't make a actual appearance until the second season, but with Buffy being his step-daughter I thought it would be acceptable.


	12. Chapter 11

Angel was wondering rest field cemetery looking out for any signs of vampires or other forces of darkness, for the past couple of weeks he had felt a presence watching him when he had patrol alone. Buffy was at the Bronze with Willow and Xander for it's annual fumigation celebration, if nothing happened soon he was going to head over there to spend time with his girlfriend.

Right now he needed to be alone today was the anniversary of his families deaths, and the beginning of his new life with the watchers council, it was also on this day he had learnt something that had changed him forever.

_Flashback_

Angel was wondering down one of the many corridors of the watchers council headquarters, though he didn't think he had ever been down this particular one before, strange considering he had grown up here.

Up ahead he saw a door slightly ajar and a light coming from the inside, then he heard two voices one belonging to an American watcher, Merrick he thought his name was, and the other to the Quinton, he was going to replace the head of watchers soon, Angel didn't like him much, he treated all the slayers like weapons and not humans.

"So she is dead, and know another will be called I hope we find her." Merrick was a good man he always treated the slayers with respect and cared for them, Meya the current slayer was under his care, although it sounded like she was now dead.

Angel grimaced she was the third slayer in nine months to be called and killed. He didn't know why the council didn't try to locate the male slayer to help protect them. He knew that he was still alive because he was next to be called and as far as he could tell he hadn't had an increase in strength or became acutely aware of blood, even though Wesley a junior watcher not long out of the academy had cut his hand right in front of him the other day.

"He must be found and stopped, you know it shouldn't be like this" Quinton was speaking again and he didn't sound pleased.

"Into every generation a chosen two is born, one male, one female, together they fight the forces of darkness." Merrick intoned the phrased that Angel had memorized since he was six, it was then that he remembered today was the anniversary of his families deaths, he could only barely remember the event, considering he was four at the time of the attack it was no big surprised, but he would always remember that the attacker was female, and a vampire with blonde hair.

The watcher's voices caught his attention again.

"Until on their seventeenth birthday the male will be persuaded from the side of light and become darkest greatest weapon against the female slayer" Angel froze that was why the male wasn't helping the slayers, he was the thing responsible for killing them. 'Not me, I wont be persuaded, these people have brought me up, and I swear on my family's graves that I will remain a warrior for good.'

"That's good to hear Mr O'Connor but can you keep it" Angel looked startled he hadn't noticed that the two men had stopped talking and now were standing in front of him.

"Vampires attacked my family, they killed them all and let me live, their mistake, they will never bring me over to their side." Angel said calmly, then at that precise moment he felt a strong power fill him, he placed his hand on the door to steady himself, only to have it come of its hinges.

"Well it looks, like Meya was able to kill one more foe before dying, we have a new male slayer" Quinton looked so pleased that Angel wanted to punch him in the face but being most likely to kill him at the moment restrained himself.

"You shall accompany Merrick here, to get the new slayer, she is somewhere in London at the moment." Merrick and Angel nodded their consent before starting to head off.

"Oh and Angel I believe you turn seventeen in two years, lets hope that when you do you remember the vow you made today" With that Quinton headed in to the opposite direction.

After a couple of days for Angel to get accustomed to his new strength he and Merrick headed off to find the slayer, she was currently living with her watcher, she survived for six months before a vampire got the best of her. That's when Buffy was discovered as a potential though she wasn't one anymore, it seemed like this girl was to be the new slayer.

_End of flashback._

A noise brought Angel back to the present; he then saw a cat scurry away with its dinner in its mouth. Angel laughed silently he should've never let his guard down, he had never done it before he had met Buffy, he thought back to that faithful day.

_Flashback_

It was a sunny day, typical for California, he and Merrick was sitting in a car opposite a high school, it was three o'clock and the bell had rung now student were pouring out of the building. Something had been bothering Angel ever since he had discovered that the council had no clue that this girl was a potential much less the next in line to become the slayer.

"Merrick I just don't get how this girl wasn't found earlier, I think it's been nearly five hundred years since there has been a slayer the council didn't know about, and what sort of name is Buffy" Merrick chuckled at the young man's tone, yes Quinton surely had this man trained properly, 'well I'll just have to fix that'.

"Angel the council isn't all knowing, it just likes to make you think it is, besides that slayer five hundred years ago holds the record for the longest living slayer, she was American as well I believe, Lucy Hanover, I think her name was. I think this is our girl" Angel looked over and saw a sight he was sure was going to stay with him until he died.

There walking down the steps, sun shining on her hair making it look like gold, and laughing and joking with her friends, not having a care in the world made Angel get a strange protective urge for a girl he didn't even knew. He watched as she said goodbye to her friends and sat on the steps obviously waiting for someone.

"Come on" Merrick said hoping out of the car; Angel quickly followed his lead and went to give this girl her destiny.

_End of flashback._

Angel smiled as he remembered Buffy's reluctance to embrace her destiny, the smile failed a bit as he remembered the night Merrick died and how Buffy's mom also came close to dieing that night as well, that was when Joyce had learnt of her daughters second life. He thought on Giles arrival and how he and Joyce had hit it off straight away even though she was just coming out of a divorce, but mostly he remembered how angry Buffy had been then at everyone and everything.

She had tried to quit back then, wanted nothing to do with this new watcher, though she did seem to spend more time with Angel it was on what was suppose to be her last patrol that he finally asked her out. A vampire had come out of no where and managed to get some good hits in leaving Angel weak and Buffy had been knocked out pretty early, when he saw the vampire touch Buffy's thigh though something snapped and using the last of his strength managed to stake it. As soon as she woke up Angel confessed his feelings and found Buffy felt the same way, He moved into her house and enrolled into her school, loving every second he got to spend with her.

"You know you really should pay more attention to your surroundings." A female voice broke his thoughts, Angel turned around to see a female with blonde hair standing a few feet away from him, his senses told him that she was a vamp, and there was something familiar about her.

"What do you want?" he asked as he reached for his stake.

"Ah ah, you don't want to do that, unless you want your little girlfriend to die" Angel froze at that if this thing had somehow hurt her, nothing in the world would be able to stop him from getting vengeance.

"What have you done to Buffy" Angel gritted his teeth picturing his beautiful girlfriend in different scenarios all with her dead.

"Oh nothing yet, though I have three friends who are just dieing to meet her, whoops they're already dead" Angel left the laughing vampire behind and went running at full speed towards the Bronze, when he was close he saw Buffy trying to fight off three big vampires all dressed a like. 'The three' Angel thought before rushing over and throwing one away from her.

"Good dogs don't bite." he quipped as he saw Buffy regroup and fight the other two off her, he heard her warning a second to late and took a hit to his side, they managed to get the vamps to back off, before deciding to get home.

When they reached the house Buffy fumbled with the keys for a second before opening the door and entering, as soon as Angel was in they slammed the door shut right in the vamps faces.

"Remember a vampire can't come in unless it's invited" Angel told her even though she knew.

"Yeah, but it's been a while since I had to test the theory" Buffy turned around and saw the nasty looking gash in Angel's side.

"Oh take off your top, I'll get the bandages" She ordered walking to the kitchen, Angel did as she ordered and lent against the side as he waited for her to get the first aid kit, it was always fully stocked for events such as this.

"Are you ever going to tell me about that tat on your shoulder?" Buffy asked as she set the kit down next to Angel and began to patch him up.

"You're not hurt are you?" he asked ignoring her question and began looking for wounds.

"No I'm fine thanks to you showing up in the nick of time, how by the way, I mean I know you weren't following me." Buffy looked up into his eye's inquisitively as she secured the last piece of tape holding his bandage in place.

"I got a tip" he said quietly moving closer to her face. 'God she looks beautiful tonight' just as they were about to kiss the door opened and they both rushed to it and pulled in Giles and Joyce who were coming in from an event at the gallery.

"Buffy, Angel what on earth" Giles said while he tried to gather his breath after being pulled into the house.

"I was attacked by three vamps, they were strong and organised, Angel and I barely got away." Buffy explained as they moved into the lounge.

"I think it was The Three Giles, and they were sent because of me" At Angel's words everyone stared at him as if he was crazy.

"Why do you think that?" Joyce asked the question they all wanted an answer to.

"As you know in a few days I'll be turning seventeen" Angel was cut off by Giles.

"Good lord I can't believe I had forgotten, but why send them after Buffy." Buffy was getting fed up with not understanding what her father and boyfriend were talking about.

"Can somebody explain to me why my boyfriend thinks it his fault that some bloodsuckers were sent to kill me." By the end of her out burst she was on her feet and almost shouting, Angel and Giles avoided her gaze while Joyce gave her a reprimanding look.

"Buffy that wasn't necessary"

"It's quite alright; this isn't easy Buffy there is something we haven't told you about male slayers, something that was kept from you for your own protection, especially when your feelings for Angel came clear." Buffy sat down and was now focused on her boyfriend who was looking at the floor.

"Buffy we are the first male and female slayers to work together in a very long time, the reason my family was killed was because they knew I was going to be called as a slayer, and wanted to get me before the council."

"I still don't understand how this has anything to do with those vampires attacking Buffy." Joyce said being just as confused as her daughter.

"If a male slayer turns seventeen the demon essence that was used to make the first two slayers becomes stronger, however it is also more easily susceptible to turning evil, and once it does it stays that why until the slayer dies." Giles said gravely, his heart broke when he saw his step-daughters face pale.

'That's why they are going after Buffy, she is the one thing keeping me on the side of light, with her gone it will be easier for them to turn me" Angel didn't want to look at his girlfriends face he was too scared at what he would see.

Buffy slowly went to her boyfriend and gently made him face her with strong determination she made his fears go away.

"They have no idea who they are messing with, I assure you there is no way I'm letting them get you" Angel's heart swelled with pride and love at Buffy's words and he pulled her in for a passionate kiss, when they broke apart he suddenly remembered something.

"Giles she is here, in town" Giles looked at the young man with confusion.

"Who is here Angel?"

"Darla" Giles sighed and started to rub his forehead things had been going so well recently.

"Who's Darla?" Buffy asked

"The vampire that killed my family" Buffy shivered at the look in her boyfriends eyes never had she seen them so cold and filled with hatred.

TBC

A.N this one is more of my own then what the show, but that's because Angel's entire past has changed and I knew that this would be the chapter to reveal some of it in, so I hope you liked.


	13. Chapter 12

Buffy's mind was on anything but school right then, after learning that her boyfriend could go evil the next day and try to kill her, and that the vampire responsible for his families death was in town, school just didn't seem important. Finally having enough Buffy just gathered her things and walked out of the classroom ignoring the teacher calling her back.

She didn't really think about where she was going but she wasn't at all surprised when she entered the library, she couldn't see Giles straight away so she went and sat at the table, placing her head on her arms she tried to think of anything but the situation they was in before she knew it she was asleep.

_She was walking down a street when she came to a fork in the road on one side she saw her and Angel kissing and laughing with her parents, obviously they had just defeated someone evil, when she looked down the other road she gasped there was Angel but his eye's had a red tinge to them making his normal chocolate eyes black, but what really got to her was the knife in his hand covered in blood, that's when she noticed a burning sensation around her stomach._

_Looking down she saw that blood was rushing out of a knife wound, she turned her gaze back to Angel, the cold eyes staring back at her made her scream then she noticed Giles and her mom dead on the ground next to him both with their throats slit and looking at her asking silently why didn't she save them._

"Buffy wake up, come on baby please wake up" Angel had been trying to wake her up for the last three minutes, then she started screaming and he got really worried, Giles had gone to call Joyce.

Buffy woke up suddenly and when she saw who was next to her couldn't hold back the scream and yanked herself away from the evil thing before it could hurt her anymore.

"Buffy?" Angel was hurt at her reaction he tried moving closer to her but she kept moving away, then Joyce and Giles walked through the doors and Buffy rushed up and gave them a hug so hard that they couldn't breathe.

"Buffy what happened, Angel was really worried when you wouldn't wake up, and now you are avoiding him and grabbing on to us as if you thought you would never see us again" Giles could see the pain in Angel as Buffy refused to meet eye contact.

"Buffy I would never hurt you, I would kill myself first you know that, please look at me" Angel begged and sighed in relief when she did what he asked, he didn't break contact as it was certain she was looking for something in particular then she rushed into his arms and started crying.

"Oh Angel it was so horrible, promise me you wont let it happen not to us, to you." Buffy was talking so fast and crying so hard that it was hard for anyone to understand her.

"Buffy you have to calm down and tell us what happened" Joyce said going to Giles office to make everyone a drink. Angel led Buffy over to the table and sat her down taking a seat next to her, Giles went to find Willow and Xander so they could help in anyway they could.

Once everyone was there Buffy told them of her dream, once she was finished Angel moved away from the table to stare into Giles office, he looked down when he felt someone take a hold of his hand and found himself staring into Buffy's concerned eye's leaning down softly he placed a light kiss on her lips, then gathered her close promising to himself that he would never hurt her.

"Well this is promising" at everyone's stares he elaborated Buffy dreamed to possible outcomes all we have to do is make sure that the first option plays out, Xander, Willow I'm sorry but it may be prudent if you didn't leave your houses after sunset unless Buffy or Angel are with you." Giles waited until both teenager nodded before turning to his family.

"Angel how do you think they will make you turn tomorrow, you know this Darla better then the rest of us" Angel thought for a moment.

"She will go after the ones I love, she will make it so I have nothing left to fight for." He felt Buffy squeeze him a little tighter and he kissed her forehead softly.

"What about weaknesses anything at all" Joyce asked she was not going to be left out of this fight not if the stake is her daughter's happiness.

"If anything her over-confidence in fact I think I know how we might just win this, Xander will the Bronze be closed tomorrow?" Angel had a plan one he knew would work.

"Yeah it should be you know for fumigation and all" The dark haired teen was confused at why the bronze being closed was important.

"Okay I'm going to need you and Willow to show Giles all the best places to hide weapons Joyce, Buffy how do you fell about being bait." Once everyone agreed to their tasks Buffy a little reluctantly Angel mentioned his plan.

"Well what do you think?"

"I think you are nuts personally" Xander said earning a smack from Willow.

"I think it will work Angel" Angel smiled at the redhead proud at her courage, before looking down to his girlfriend.

"Buffy?" He needed her to go along with this.

"I don't know, there is so many things that could go wrong, I can't lose you" Buffy felt the tears in her eyes but refused to let them fall.

"You will never lose me" Angel reassured her looking over at Giles and Joyce he saw them nod their approval.

"Okay tomorrow night Darla will pay for the crimes against my family" Everyone left the library to begin to prepare, though Buffy couldn't shake the feeling something bad was going to happen.

The next night Angel stood on the stage in the Bronze earlier that night he had left a message for Darla, he knew she got it as the watching presence vanished once he had finished talking. Now Buffy and Joyce were knocked out and tied up at his feet, with the others hiding ready to strike.

Angel tensed as the door opened and Darla walked in followed by five other vamps, the last one through closed and locked the door.

"I see you have your pretty girlfriend and her mother here, but where's the watcher?" Darla said

"He got away but he won't be able to hide for long." Angel said in a cold dead voice.

"You really are turning my master was right you are special, and so full of potential, now to complete the transformation" Darla threw him a knife while the other vamps mad a circle around the two of them.

"Kill the mother while I drain the slayer dry" Angel moved over to Joyce and picked her up, she was just coming to and bean to shake when she saw the knife in Angel's hands.

"Angel what's happening what's wrong with Buffy" Angel looked over to see Buffy still out of it and Darla picking her up exposing her neck. Angel nodded to Joyce and cut her lose discretely while grabbing the stake he had hidden in his pocket.

Walking up quietly he saw Buffy's eye's flutter open just as he staked Darla through the back the vamp turned her head and whispered his name before turning to dust, Angel grabbed Buffy before she hit the ground.

"Now" he shouted as he cut Buffy free, shaking her head Buffy cleared her senses and joined the fight, it didn't last long and soon it was quiet in the Bronze, but Buffy still had the feeling of dread in her stomach.

"Is everyone okay?" Angel asked Giles started to look around.

"Joyce, has anyone seen Joyce" Buffy started to panic she knew something bad was going to happen.

"Mom, where are you" It was Xander who found her.

"Over here, guy's she's been bit" Xander looked pale and barley noticed as Giles shoved him aside to get to his wife's side.

"Joyce sweetheart can you hear me" there was tears running down his face as he repeatedly called for Joyce to answer. Willow came over and felt for a pulse.

"Guy's she needs an ambulance now" Angel went over to the phone and dialled for the ambulance as Buffy slowly made her way to her parent's side.

'Dad she's going to be okay right?" right then she didn't sound like a powerful slayer but a scared teenager who could be losing her mother. Giles looked at his stepdaughter and signalled her over he griped her in one arm hug while the other held Joyce's hand.

Willow had taken her jacket off and placed it against the wound to stop the bleeding. Angel made his way over.

"Ambulance should be here shortly" he said quietly Xander got up and unlocked the door awaiting the paramedics arrival, Buffy wriggled out of Giles arm's and moved over to Angel who held her close and whispered sweet reassurances to her.

The ambulance came and carried Joyce off; Giles went with her while the others followed in Joyce's jeep. When they got to the hospital they had to wait for another half hour before a doctor approached them.

"She's going to be fine, we are going to keep her in here for a few days for observation but she will soon be back to her usual self." Giles hook the doctor's hand and asked if he could go see her, Buffy sent Xander and Willow home promising to keep them updated, before going to sit down next to Angel.

"Happy Birthday by the way" Buffy said pulling out a present from her coat.

"Buffy you didn't have to" with all that had been going on he had almost forgotten it was his birthday.

"Just open it" Buffy ordered.

Angel did as he was told he smiled when he saw what it was, a picture of him and Buffy at the park she was sitting on a swing and he stood behind her with his arms wrapped around her, they were both looking at each other with big smiles on their faces.

"'Well do you like it?" Buffy asked.

For an answer Angel leaned over and gave her a kiss.

"I love you" Angel whispered if it was possible Buffy's smile grew wider and she whispered back.

"I love you"

TBC

A.N wow it's been a while but life has been crazy starting off with me basically living at work, and then I moved out of my parents place for the first time so big excitement, anyway I hope you like, and I know that in the show they didn't say I love you until Buffy's birthday but in my story they have already been dating for a while so I thought it was ok. Please R &R.


	14. Chapter 13

**Distribution: **I honestly don't mind just pretty please ask first.

1814 Cortona, Italy

A man dressed in brown woollen robes approached a figure surrounded in shadows; the man had a look of complete devotion on his face as the figure asked.

"Do you love me" The man just nodded his head to much under the person's thrall to speak.

"I can give you everything, knowledge, power, love all I ask is that you love me in return" As the figure was saying this he moves into the light revealing his demon appearance, taller than a man green skin and glowing red eyes with two horns on his head. The follower didn't seem to notice the appearance and just knelt in front of the demon.

"You have my love" then the demon quite abruptly broke the man's neck, the man died with an insane smile on his face.

Some miles away in a church like building more men in robes had gathered but unlike the others they had not been taken over by the demon a demon they had now identified.

"It's Moloch, The Corruptor" the lead monk said, the other acolytes gathered around him as he began to speak once more.

"We must form the circle, and bind him." Quickly everyone got into place, the lead monk had a large book in his hands one he began to read from.

"_By the power of the circle Keyless,_

_By the power of the circle of Keyless,_

_I command you, Demon come,_

_I command you come,_

_Come_

_Come demon come._

Moloch looked up from his recently killed follower and stared into space as he felt the binding start to take hold, Holding his head he started screaming in pain and resistance, It was too late and his physical form broke up into tiny magical particles, swirling in the air they disappeared to emerge at the monks location, They stayed in the air for a few seconds still resisting until they came to land on the empty book in the lead monks arms, As the particles landed on the book strange symbols appeared filling the pages with the strange writing, when all was complete the book was slammed shut and placed into a crate.

"Lets pray he shall never be released" the monk said before the lid was nailed shut sealing Moloch away from the world.

1997 Sunnydale, California

The local high school library was unusually busy as students from the computer science class were scanning books onto the computer helping to update the system. The librarian himself was feeling very frazzled and this invasion as he saw it was only one reason, the other was simply the fact that he was missing his wife. It had been a month since Angel's birthday and she had fully recovered she even joked at how the doctor thought the wound was from a barbeque fork, an item they didn't actually own.

Now Joyce was getting a shipment from a gallery in L.A one she had to over see personally, due to past incidents Angel had one with her to keep her safe and his way of making up for her being attacked. Giles looked over to his daughter and knew that the only reason she was here at all was because she was missing Angel and not because she actually wanted to help which she reinforced with her next statement as she looked into the crate she had just opened.

"Oh look it's another book" she said sarcastically walking by Dave one of the computer students to ask her step-father where he wanted.

"Yes well I haven't gone over all the new arrivals so just put it in" Giles looked around for a place that Buffy could set the book down, by the looks of it, the book seemed something of an occult genre so he decided to play safe and pointed to Willows already big pile.

"This pile here, to be skimmed" Giles finally said screwing up the computer term badly a note that the computer teacher wasn't going to let pass by.

"The term is scanned Rupert scanned" Jenny Calendar was one of the younger more hip teachers that Sunnydale High had to offer, in fact if Giles wasn't married to Joyce he would of found her attractive. But at this precise moment he found her annoying.

"Of course" he replied Ms Calendar just smiled and kept toying with the librarian.

"Oh I know our ways seem strange to you, but someday soon you might join us in the 20th century with hey three whole years left to spare." Jenny smiled thinking she had gotten the last word, but she underestimated this librarian who was now thankful that Buffy had given him a lot of practise in the art of verbal war since he became her watcher and more importantly her father.

"Ms Calendar I'm sure your classes in computer science are quite fascinating, but I happen to believe that one can survive in modern society without being a slave to this idiot box." Before Jenny had time to make a comment Buffy jumped in.

"No the TV is the idiot box remember that thing you don't want me and Angel watching all the time" Buffy shared a small smile with the computer teacher, she liked Ms Calendar though she was careful to remind the woman that Giles was a married man after she seen the teacher check him out a couple of time which made her shudder and miss Angel more.

"She right you know, this is the good box" Jenny continued placing her hand s on the monitor her other student Fritz was working at.

"In the past year more e-mail was sent then regular mail and more digitized info crossed over phone lines then conversations." Giles just frowned and remarked.

"A fact that fills me with dread" Giles said moving into his office to collect something. Jenny just sighed and looked towards her students and noticing the time.

"Alright guys lets finish up here" Dave and Fritz were the first ones to shut down there computers and started to head out. Willow decided to stay and finish up the books in her pile Xander started to collect up is stuff as well.

"Xander do you wanna stay?" the redhead asked waking up her dark haired friend. He looked at her strangely not picking up on the hint that she just wanted some alone time with the guy she had a crush on.

"Are you kidding?" He asked in shock, he could defiantly think f better things to do with his spare time, even though his new male friend was out of town.

"Yes it was a joke that I made up" Willow deadpanned.

"I love you Willow but by" Xander stated as he called for Buffy to wait up so he could ask when Angel and Joyce were expected back.

Much later that day in a now darkened library willow was now scanning the book Buffy had pulled out of the crate, after scanning it she made sure it saved , not noticing the pages in the book she had just scanned go blank, nor did she notice the computer screen go blank and three words being typed on the screen.

Where am I

Later in the week Buffy was racing up to catch an unresponsive Willow, Joyce and Angel were due back in the next few days there a had been a little problem with some documents gone missing which delayed their return for a few more days.

"Willow hey wait up" Buffy called managing to catch up to her red headed friend, then she noticed the smile on her friends face.

"Oh hey Buffy I didn't see you there" Willow said off handily the smile still firmly on her face, which Buffy didn't mean it.

"Or hear me, ok what's up, I tried calling your house like a gazillion times last night." Buffy had an idea what had happened and if she had guessed right she was so happy for Willow.

"I was talking to someone" Willow answered moving to her locker and the smile on her face growing.

"Ok you have a secret and that is not aloud" Buffy said almost desperate to hear what had gotten her best friend in such a happy mood.

"Why?" Willow asked making Buffy wait just that little longer.

"Just cuz" Buffy replied she looked so pitiful that Willow gave in and spilt the beans which made Buffy go into best friend need to know everything mode and soon Buffy learnt the name of the guy that had Willow so enraptured.

"So what does he look like?" Buffy asked desperate for the gossip.

"I don't know" was Willows reply as she moved to the computer science class; Buffy frowned and followed her into the classroom thankful that she had a free.

"So your dating a guy that you've never seen, okay I cab figure this one out." she paused to think then came up with.

'Does it involve a midget and a block of ice?" Willow just smiled and stated that she had met him on line Buffy being Buffy got it confused with an actual line before Willow just pointed to her computer until Buffy got it. Buffy got it concerned she had heard the stories of perverts posing as some sweet likable guy on the net then turning around to be someone completely different in person when she voiced said thoughts Willow just brushed her off.

"His name is Malcolm Black, he's eighteen, lives in Elmwood which is 80 miles from here and he likes me." Buffy wasn't convinced there was nothing about how he looked both girls were too busy talking to notice the web cam focusing on Buffy.

On another computer somewhere in the school it turned on and accessed the student files stopping when it came up to Buffy's then the file was sent to another screen where Fritz took a look at it, then his screen went black and words were typed on the screen.

Watch Her.

Meanwhile Ms Calendar had come in and asked Buffy not to stay too long before looking at the log times. Willow was starting to get upset with Buffy before the slayer just said she wanted to make sure that the Guy was good enough for her Willow, before leaving the classroom to go train with Giles who had unwillingly became her training partner until Angel got back.

Jenny Calendar rose from her seat and walked over to Fritz.

"Hey you and Dave are logging a lot of time." The teacher asked gently sometimes her students forgot that a real world existed outside the computer. Fritz didn't even stop typing.

"New project" he muttered making Jenny smile.

"Will I like it?" She asked not noticing his dark smile.

"You'll die?" Fritz stated.

Later in the day Willow was coming down the steps leading into the quad too busy thinking about Malcolm to notice Xander sneak up behind her that was until he placed his hands over eyes.

"Guess who?" Xander joked but Willow wasn't playing.

"Xander" After trying to make her play and failing Xander fell beside her and they started to walk together, he asked if she was gonna come to Bronze that night but was surprised when she declined she mentioned something about an early night.

"Oh that's right I've heard about Malcolm" Xander stated but tried asking her to the Bronze again.

"Are you sure, I'm going to be making fun at all the people who won't talk to me." Willow just patted his shoulder told him to have fun then moved off lost in her little Malcolm world again leaving a stunned Xander behind, then he noticed his favourite blonde slayer walking towards him.

"Hey Buffy you Bronzing tonight?" but before she could answer he cut her off.

"Of course not you are probably too busy with some lame vampire or demon thing or talking to Angel, man everyone is deserting me." Xander said dejected hanging his head down in defeat.

"In defence of my boyfriend he is in L.A protecting my mother should she need it." Buffy said patting Xander's shoulder sympathetically.

"Yeah and Willow is all hung up on this Malcolm man" Xander in a tone that hinted there was some jealously but when Buffy tried to point it out Xander changed tactic.

"I mean we don't even know who he really is; he could just be saying he's a student, like I could" Xander said leaving Buffy slightly confused.

"You are Xander" not getting the point so Xander tried again.

'Yeah but I could also say I am an elderly Dutch woman and who's to say I'm not if I'm on the elderly Dutch women's chat room" Xander saw the realization shine in Buffy's eyes.

'God he could be anyone, I mean he's properly some circus freak or something" Buffy said not thinking about what she was saying.

"Right you hear stories like this all the time, they chat them up online and when they meet go all axe murdery." Xander continued both of them getting carried away with the idea.

"Oh god Willow is going to get axe murdered by some circus freak what are we going to do" at them words Buffy suddenly took in what she was saying and stopped herself before she got really carried away.

"What are we doing, Xander you get me started" Buffy playfully pushed his shoulders keeping her strength in check before coming up with an idea to confirm the identity of Malcolm. With that she walked away from Xander leaving him alone.

When she walked in to the computer room she was glad that Dave was alone in there, Fritz gave her the creeps and she didn't think Willow would appreciate that Buffy was checking up on her new boyfriend. She called Dave's name but got no response she walked right up next to him and still nothing until she placed a hand on his shoulder making them both jump.

"Buffy, hey"

"Hey, look I've got a question for you could you trace an e-letter back to the source." she jumped straight to the point not knowing how much longer until Fritz or Willow or even Ms Calendar showed up.

"You could look up their profile from the e-mail address" he stated trying to be helpful, but Buffy just frowned.

"Yeah but the person writes them so it could say what ever they wanted to right?" She looked for confirmation and smiled proud of her self when Dave nodded.

'What I wanted to know was if you could trace an e-letter to its source, you know the actual computer it came from?" She was desperate to help Willow even if the person in question didn't think they were in any danger, and Buffy wasn't sure herself but she knew she wouldn't be comfortable until she knew for sure who Malcolm was.

"It would be a challenge but doable" Dave commented.

"Good cause Willow has been talk . . . "She started to get cut off from Dave.

"Leave Willow alone" he voice suddenly louder and surer making Buffy go silent in shock.

"What"

"Leave her a lone it's none of your business" Making Buffy get a suspicion.

"Dave are you Malcolm?" Just to be brushed off by the computer genius. She left feeling more certain the something was amiss here, so she went to her expert.

"Something is defiantly not right here Giles, and it's not just Willow Dave and Fritz are acting strange too." Buffy told her watcher as she followed him around the library until they were at the issue desk.

"Not they were sparkling normal before." Giles commented dryly but Buffy was really getting concerned for her friend and now she was whishing both her mother and Angel were here, one would understand better and the other would show Buffy support.

"Giles I'm serious I need advice." Giles just looked at her silently then sighed.

"Buffy I honestly don't what to do, know if you had come to me with a nice ogre then I would be able to help, but when it comes to these ghastly machines I'm filled with a child like fear." Giles looked at Buffy and saw the concern she held for her friend and felt proud that he played a role in this amazing young woman's life.

"You could try tailing Dave" the watcher suggested.

'What you mean with the dark glasses and trench coat?" Buffy asked smiling slightly at the thought of actually doing that.

"Well it might be the only way to see if anything is going on." Buffy sighed and walked out the library to go to her class.

At the end of the day as the last bell rang Dave ran to his car not noticing that a figure wearing dark glasses and the closest thing she had to a trench coat was watching him nor that she was trailing him.

Buffy stared at the building that Dave pulled up too noticing the technicians come out to greet him and lead him inside handing him files, she also saw the letters CRD on the side of the building but couldn't read the smaller writing to figure out what it al meant. What she didn't see was the security camera watching her and sending her picture back to someone in Sunnydale High. Fritz took on look and asked what should he do the computer typed Kill Her, Fritz just smiled cruelly before saying one lone word.

"Party"

Buffy had to wait till the next day to report her findings to Giles as she had spent the rest of her night talking with Angel and catching up on homework that she had left sitting due to her time being spent investigating Willow's new boy toy.

"It had CRD on the side but I couldn't get close enough to see what it meant" Buffy reported to the two men in the library, she had bumped into Xander on her way in and together they came to the library.

"It's a computer research lab, it was one of Sunnydale's biggest contributors to employment until it close down a year ago." when he finished his statement he saw Buffy and Giles staring at him in complete shock causing to get defensive.

"Hey I do know stuff" Causing the watcher and slayer to snap out of there shock.

"Yes of course it's just unprecedented" was all Giles could say.

'well it looked definitely active from where I was standing, you don't think it could've have opened up again?" Buffy asked Xander who just shook his head and replied that there would've been something on the news if it had. The bell for class rang signalling the end of their discussion and a halt to any plan making.

After 5th period Buffy made her way over to the library feeling horrible her and Willow had just got into a major disagreement about Malcolm. Buffy knew there was something funky going on with that guy, but before she contemplate it any further Dave came up to her indicating that Willow wanted to see her in the girl locker rooms. Buffy didn't think anything of it considering they had just had PE.

Buffy entered the locker room and soon a feeling of dread crept into her stomach as her search started to reveal that the locker room was devoid of all human life but her, then she heard the showers start and headed towards them thinking that was where Willow was.

However when she got the all she saw was an empty stall with the water going not noticing the live cable on the floor she stepped in to the stall to turn the water off, just as she finished that task Dave came up behind her and yelled at her to exit the stall, Buffy looked down and finally noticed the broken cable just as the water got to it, using slayer reflexives she jumped but still received quite a shock leaving her a bit disoriented and for a chance for Dave to leave the scene.

When she finally managed to get to the library Xander was already there waiting for her, upon seeing her drag her body slightly and her telling what happened they got her into a chair and Giles went to make her a tea.

"God I could kill Dave" Xander said making for the first time since his departure Buffy glad that Angel was not here, because he really would kill Dave and even though the time for him to go evil had passed she didn't want him taking that chance.

"He saved me though" Buffy pointed out.

'From a set up he led you to.' Xander countered.

"Are you alright?" Giles asked changing the subject.

"Fine" she said then paused and looked fearfully at the two people standing in front of her.

"Tell me truthfully how's my hair" Giles just rolled his eyes while Xander commented that it was her greatest hair yet which confirmed her suspicions that she needed to fix it up.

"We have a bigger problem then that does this look familiar to either of you?" Giles asked the two teens. While they had been in class Ms Calendar had come back in to check the cross referencing table and had noticed that this book in particular was blank, Giles thought nothing of it until he had seen the cover which made him completely forget about the computer teacher in the library.

"Yes it's a book" Buffy commented bringing Giles back to the present, just as Xander made another smart comment Giles sighed before he continued.

"It's not just any book, back in the middle ages some essences of demons were bound to books forever keeping them there until the day they are read and the spirit is released. I believe this was Moloch the corruptor." Giles went on how the demon made promises of knowledge, power and love on the easily minded.

"So this demon's in there?" Xander asked gesturing to the book.

"Not anymore" Giles commented showing them the blank book.

"You let the demon out" Buffy exclaimed

'Nice going" Xander said at the same time, Giles instantly went defensive.

"It wasn't me that dreaded Calendar woman found it like that" Buffy suddenly realized what had happened to the demon the same time Giles did, though they had to explain it to Xander. When Willow scanned the book the scanner read it also transferring the words into data, Moloch was now in the computer system. They tried to delete Willows file but the screen fuzzed out showing what 'Malcolm' really looked like.

Buffy really started to get worried about Willow and went to see if she was in the computer lab while Xander and Giles called her house. While they had been discovering all about Moloch Dave had gotten into an argument with the demon which led to Moloch typing up a suicide note while Fritz appeared behind the freaked out teen to wrap a rope around his neck.

When Buffy reached the computer room it seemed empty though a lone computer was left on the one Willow normally used turning it off she turned around banging into the now dead body of Dave. She quickly made her way to the library, after telling Xander and Giles her findings Buffy and Xander decided to break in to CRD while Buffy suggest that he ask MS Calendar for help on getting the demon out of the computer, Buffy had sensed something about the teacher and she hoped she was right.

It took a bit longer for Buffy to get to the building in question with Xander tagging along. BY the time she had got there and confirmed that there was something going on Giles had convinced Ms Calendar to help not that it was difficult when she revealed to be a techno-pagan as she put it.

Buffy and Xander jumped over the fence Buffy landing much more smoothly then her partner in crime and broke into the building while Giles and Jenny had begun the binding ritual. Willow had awoken to find herself in a room full of computers and a machine that looked like a demon, which she learnt was Malcolm.

Moloch using the buildings security feed detected Buffy's and Xander's arrival and trapped them in a corridor with gas leaking into it, just as Willow informed him that she would never love him just as he went to break her neck he reared back in pain as Jenny and Giles completed the binding ceremony, making the computer they used to start flashing and smoking.

"It's done he's bound" Jenny said as Giles went to check the book to his dismay there was no words.

"He's not in the book" he said making Jenny come over and look at the blank pages just as two new arrivals stepped into the library.

'So if he isn't in the book where is he?' Jenny asked the watcher just as the two people made their appearances known.

"Where is who?" Giles went from shock to pleasure when he saw who had entered the library sweeping his wife into his arms he gave her a passionate kiss on the lips then turned to the one who had asked the question.

"There is some things you guys need to be filled in on, tea?" at their nods Giles quickly made the introductions and then headed into his office to make tea, leaving a techno-pagan, slayer and mother left to silence.

Back at CRD Buffy run up to kick Moloch who was now trapped in his metal body to just end up landing on the floor, Xander took out one of the guards as the girls made a break for it, turning one corner they came across more guards so they turned around Xander was a head of them when Moloch decided to crash right through the wall separating them, he knocked both Xander and Willow away as he started to attack the slayer to be interrupted by a fire extinguisher come down onto his body, turning around he saw Willow holding it all the pain and anger she felt coming out.

Soon he managed to grab the extinguisher and chuck Willow into Xander then turned back to the slayer who had spotted a main circuit breaker behind her timing it she let the demon throw a punch moving out of the way before he cold connect letting him go straight into the live circuit. The electricity fried his circuits and Moloch was no more.

The next day the Scooby gang was sitting on a bench trying to cheer up Willow.

"What does that say about me that the first guy I fall for is a demon" Willow grumbled.

Buffy grabbed her friends hand and smiled.

"Look we may never have happy normal relationships, but if there is one thing I've come to realize with my calling is that normal is relative as long as you're happy, right?" Buffy asked her boyfriend who just nodded and kissed her deeply.

Willow looked at the couple and knew that someday she will be as lucky as them one day and with that thought the redhead had her first smile of the day.

TBC

A.N Kay I don't know how I went with this chapter, this episode isn't really one of my favourites and I think I faltered there with the storyline at the end . Well I hope you enjoy the next chapter should be up soon.


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Joss is boss

Distribution: Yes as long as you ask first

Dedication: This goes out to every single person that has reviewed at least once to this story, you guys keep me writing.

Spoilers: The Puppet show, with a very small mention of I robot you Jayne.

He didn't know how much more he could take, he just prayed it couldn't get any worse, he couldn't see it getting any better, looking at his associate next to him, he saw the dread and pain on the young mans face. Deciding to end both of their misery Giles called for a halt of the torture.

On stage Cordelia stop mid-note looking surprised that her act was cut short, looking from their producer to his assistant hoping that he at least would object on her behalf and was shocked again when she saw mild relief on his face. She decided to object herself.

"But I haven't even got to the part with the sparklers" Giles stared at her patently while trying to get the next act on stage, Lisa who was playing a piece on her tuba.

"We will leave those until the dress rehearsal" Angel said as Giles called for Lisa, Cordelia just huffed and walked off the stage, Angel shook his head if that was the best Sunnydale High had to offer he considered giving out the tickets for free. Then the slight raising of the hairs at the back of his neck alerted him to his girlfriends presence drawing nearer.

"Well if it isn't our great producer and his devilishly handsome assistant" Buffy said as she sat next to her boyfriend who gave her a look to comment he was not happy with her comment.

"Oh you three" Giles muttered just when he didn't think his day could get any worse.

"How ever did you guy's manage to finagle such a primo assignment." Buffy continued grasping Angel's hand to show she was only messing.

"Our new fuher Mr Snyder" Angel muttered darkly, one minute he had been sitting in the library reporting to Giles about the nights before patrol when the new principal barges in and tells them that they are doing the show.

"I think they call them principals now" Willow told Angel gently

"My mistake, he thought it would be better for us to have more interaction with the students" Angel said not sounding the least bit amused.

"I did try to tell him that my vocational position of librarian was to minimize it, but he would have none of it." Both of them looked so off put they were almost pouting, Buffy whished her mother could see them now, being the true supportive daughter and Girlfriend Buffy kept her mouth shut, Xander however couldn't.

"But guys in to every generation there is two that are born to run the annual talent less show." Angel just leant over and whacked him on the head.

Buffy decided that they had tormented them long enough and gathered up Xander and Willow to leave only to bump into Principal Snyder, after a quick chat he volunteered them for the talent show making Giles and Angel share a small smile. Once he had gone Buffy who was moaning dropped back down into the seat next to her boyfriend and leant her head on his shoulder as he put his arm around her in a comforting gesture, though he couldn't completely get rid of his smile.

The tuba playing finished making Buffy to glance up in time to see Morgan dragging a chair to the middle of a stage and arrange a dummy on his lap making her bury herself more into Angel.

"Eugh dummy" her voiced being muted by Angel's body" her comment made Xander take a closer look at the other acts stopping when he saw a mine.

"Yeow mine" Xander jumped slightly as Willow moved to sit behind Angel and Buffy, the atter looking at the wooden doll with mild anxiety.

"I think dummy's are cute, you don't?" Willow asked her friend who just shook her head and wrapped her self around her boyfriend more.

"What happened?" Angel asked never knowing that his girlfriend disliked dummies.

"I saw one it gave me the wiggins, there isn't actually a story behind it." Buffy said then they fell silent as Morgan began his act.

The act seemed just as bad as the others until the dummy stared to insult Morgan and make everyone laugh even Buffy.

"See not everything is bad, I think you three can come up with something equally exciting" Buffy just moaned and buried herself back into Angel, who just laughed then moaned when his girlfriend whacked him in the chest, not holding back her strength, making the others laugh while the two slayers shared a small but passionate kiss.

Later after rehearsal and mostly everyone had gone home, one person was still packing up her gear, still dressed in her dancer's uniform she picked up her bag and started to head off, when she heard a noise, stopping she called out, but received no reply, she turned around just in time to see her attacker and let out final scream before all fell silent.

A few minutes later the girl now dead silence ruled the building, but that silence was a bout to be broken.

"I will be whole"

Giles and Principal Snyder were walking down the auditorium to the stage, Snyder looking at the Scooby gang, who were talking to Morgan and his dummy, going on about how they were trouble makers and needed discipline, before telling Giles exactly how he was going to run the school.

Just when he said it was going to be silent a shrill scream sounded making everyone stop what they were doing. The slayers were the first to react, senses on full alert for the danger while heading towards the origin of the scream, only to find a sobbing girl and a dead one.

The authorities were called and the area sectioned off from prying student eyes. Giles came out and immediately saw the others made his way over to them.

"Well?" Angel asked holding tightly to Buffy they hadn't got to see much before as Snyder kicked them out of the changing rooms, they knew it was a girl but couldn't identify the person.

"It was Emily" Giles said gravely just when things seemed to be quieting down.

"Dancer Emily?" Willow asked sadly she had seen her practising yesterday and she looked good.

"Yes, it must of happened right after rehearsals, she was meant to go to a track meet afterwards, she never showed" Giles relayed the information keeping an eye out for Snyder.

"I hate this school" Xander spontaneously said.

"So what are we thinking demon, what?" Angel asked the watcher.

"Well it seems to be, well the heart was removed however" Giles began only to be cut off by Buffy who had been watching the police take the body and evidence out of the lockers.

"Demons have claws and teeth, they don't need a knife" Buffy's voice was dull, Angel brought her closer to him.

The gang moved away the others going on to human possibilities but Angel and Buffy were doing there silent communication thing and halted the others.

'No we're not buying, I mean this is the hell mouth, strange things happen here all the time" Buffy tried to reason.

"I can understand why you whish it Buffy, demons are simple, there cold evil but humans are more complicated." Her watcher said softly.

"Also the creep factor involved, it could be anyone, it could be me" Everyone stared at the red head with strange looks, making her back peddle.

"It's not though" Angel shook his head smiling slightly before he got back to business.

"Still I think we should investigate both, everyone should split up talk to anyone who was at rehearsals yesterday, see if they noticed anything strange." The group split off to do just that Angel decided to stay with Buffy to make sure she was ok.

It took a while but they managed to talk to everyone who was in the talent show and they all seem to be saying the same thing, Emily had been talking to Morgan and Morgan had been acting real strange. The others were convinced but Buffy and Angel were still sceptical

They all decided not to do anything until they had talked to Morgan without his dummy being present, though Giles ordered Buffy to investigate the boys locker, Angel wanted to go with her but Giles stopped him, they still had a talent show to do after all.

The hall was clear as it should've been school had finished a while ago, Buffy approached Morgan's locker carefully not exactly positive on what she should expect, she wished Angel was here that thought made her slightly angry, she was a slayer herself and didn't always need Angel to help her out, she had handled Moloch all right with out him.

"Three to the left, two to the right" making sure no one was watching Buffy slammed her palm against the locker, breaking the lock and effectively opening the locker, she only had just started to investigate the inside when someone grabbed her hand and spun her around, she couldn't believe her luck Snyder had caught her.

"What are you doing here, school hours are over there fore you should be gone" Snyder was a happy man, he had just started this job and already a student was dead.

"Well as you know Giles is my step-dad and he is giving me a lift home when he is finished getting things ready for the talent show." Buffy hadn't even lied Giles was gonna give her a lift.

"What are you doing at this locker?"

"Oh a friend knew I was staying a bit later and asked if I could get something out of their locker." Now she had lied.

"There is something going on with you and I will get to the bottom of it, are you done" Snyder asked referring to the locker seeing that she wasn't going to get any privacy she continued to search, she opened the dummy case only to see it was empty.

"I guess they had already got it and had just forgotten to tell me" Buffy smiled then walked back to the library confused, Snyder walked in the opposite direction neither noticed Morgan with his dummy watching them leave.

A.N this chapter has been a slight struggle to write so I decided to do this episode in two parts even though I really wanted to do it in one, but I figured you would enjoy an update none the less. Please review it's the only way I can improve my writing if you tell me what I'm doing wrong.


	16. Chapter 15

Hey a big thanks to Uskohakuchan who is now my beta for this story, this chappie is foryou.

That night after her patrol, Buffy sat in her room getting ready for bed when her mother came in."Giles informed me about what's happening at the school." Buffy looked up to see her mother's worried face."We'll be fine, we just have to catch the creature responsible," she stated, going up and giving her mom a quick reassuring hug."Well if I it helps at all I'll be in the audience." Joyce almost laughed at the panicked look on her daughters face."What no, if I go up and see you I'll get stage fright, it's bad enough that Giles and Angel are going to be there anyway, please you can't go," Buffy was practically begging. The almighty female slayer begging for her mother not to come to her talent show, oh if the vampires could see her now.

"Sorry honey but Giles already has my ticket one of the perks of being married to the producer of the show." Joyce leant down and gave her daughter a kiss on the head then left her to go to bed.

Buffy pouted at the door for a couple of more minutes before going to bed making sure her window was closed.She was having a nice dream that involved Angel when a banging inside of her room awoke her. Slayer senses were on full alert, she heard feet pattering across the floor. Whatever this thing was it was small. She bent down to look under her bed quickly, coming back up, she turned around to see Morgan's  
dummy next to her, a very big knife in its hand. Forgoing slayer training, Buffy let out a high pitched scream, startling both the dummy and her. Buffy knocked the dummy away and ran to her light switch just as Angel and Joyce burst into her room."Buffy what is it?" Angel asked, taking her shaken form into his arms while Joyce investigated the bed.

"Morgan's dummy it was in my bed," she mumbled into her boyfriend's chest, not caring how feeble she sounded."Are you sure it just wasn't a bad dream?" Joyce asked, coming up to the teenagers."No I'm sure" she trailed off as she looked at her window.

"You really shouldn't leave your window open not all demons need invitations to enter," Angel said as he went to close it. He was about to say more when he noticed the paleness of Buffy's face, Joyce seeing Angel stare, looked at her daughter closely.

"Sweetie what is it?" Buffy just looked at them not at all feeling like the slayer at the moment."I didn't leave it open, in fact I always make sure it's closed." Angel gathered up her shaken girlfriend and led her to his room while saying goodnight to Joyce. This was the first time something that wanted to harm  
Buffy had come into her house without her knowing and it had shaken her.

"Angel that thing could've attacked my mom." Then something came to her and she began to panic even more."Where's Giles I didn't see him what if Sid had gotten him to?" Angel smiled and kissed her letting her fears drain away in the comfort he was providing, after a while he pulled away, both breathing a little heavier."He was still working on the talent show when I left; he said he was going to stay in the library tonight so he can also research this demon problem." When he saw her relax even more and then yawn, he pushed her down then joined her, pulling the covers up as she snuggled into him more. Just before she fell  
asleep, she looked to the window and saw it was locked.The next morning Buffy and Angel made their way to the auditorium after finding no one in the library. Giles was near the stage talking to Cordelia when she suddenly ran off her hands touching her hair. As he turned around, Buffy saw a mischievous grin on his face, and she wondered what he had said to  
Cordelia. The three reached Xander and Willow at the same time. Giles looked closer at his step-daughter and saw that she was slightly pale."Buffy are you okay? You look a little worse for wear," he asked kindly. Angel answered for his girlfriend, who was to busy staring at Morgan and Sid."Sid was in her bed last night, holding a knife" Angel saw Buffy shiver at the memory and he wrapped an arm around her placing a kiss on her forehead."Are you sure? I mean it could've been a dream" Xander said"You did say dummies gave you the creeps," Willow added. Buffy was getting tired of everyone doubting her she was a slayer. They never doubted Angel.

"Yes I'm sure, I'm a slayer as well give me some credit" Buffy thought she had silenced them all but Xander couldn't keep his mouth shut."The dummy slayer?" Then he saw the glare both Giles and Angel were sending his way.

"Shutting up now.""Well on the bright side, I may have found a demon responsible for Emily's attack." Holding up a book, he told them how to keep their human form they have to feast on a human heart and brain every so often."So Morgan could still be our guy," Willow said feeling a little guilty for doubting Buffy.

"These creatures are naturally strong, Morgan should be getting stronger…" he trailed off, as they all looked at Morgan who was rubbing his head and sitting down obviously tired."But he's getting weaker" Angel said, summing up what everyone was thinking."I'd like to talk to Morgan without his better half"" Buffy muttered, and then sighed as the bell rang, signaling everyone for class.It wasn't until later in the day did Buffy get her chance to talk to Morgan without Sid. During their English class, Sid had started acting up, so the teacher put him in a cupboard thinking it was Morgan. Afterwards, Xander had taken the dummy so Buffy could talk with Morgan; she was alone as everyone was  
busy with the talent show.She found herself backstage in the storage room for the props and scenery. After a strange and slightly creepy conversation with Snyder, Buffy made her way deeper into the room. It was dark and everything was all over the place, which is why she didn't see Morgan until after she tripped over him, she was  
too late the demon had his brain.Buffy was on full alert, her senses told her this was fresh and the demon could very well be still around, and that's when she heard the familiar sound of Sid. Walking quietly, she tried to track the dummy, but he was fast and managed to drop a prop chandelier on her. As Buffy was trying to lift it  
off her, Sid attacked her with a knife. Buffy managed to knock the knife out of his hand, push up from the chandelier, and pin the dummy down.

"You've won, now that you've got your brain and heart, you'll keep your human form," Both Buffy and Sid said at the same time, they both paused looking confused, and then looked closer at each other.

"What?"The entire Scooby gang including Joyce sat in Giles; office. None of them could speak as Sid told the tale of his life and how he became a dummy; it wasn't so much the story that had them speechless but more the person reciting it.

"I've got them all but one, and now I have narrowed it down to someone in the talent show." Sid finished off. Silence came over the room as everyone took in the information; it was Joyce who broke the silence."And you thought Buffy was the demon." Everyone turned to look at Buffy who was nestled safely in her boyfriend's lap."Well could you blame me? Look at her, she beautiful, strong, athletic, nubile..." Sid trailed off and Buffy wrapped her arms around Angel to stop him from attacking their only lead."But the demon has what he came for won't it just leave?" Willow said causing the two slayers to look at each other."So if it was someone in the talent show, then they won't be there for tonight's performance then we will know who our demon is." Angel summed up; suddenly Giles sat up straighter with a little gasp causing everyone to jump."What's wrong honey?" Joyce asked in concern, moving to take her husband's hand."The show it starts in an hour and half, I've got to get everything ready." Standing up, he left the room, not noticing everyone sigh in relief. Joyce went to help Giles while the others came up with a plan to I.D the  
demon."Have everyone gather in a circle of encouragement, you look and see if you can see anyone missing, alright?" Sid ordered, showing for the first time the demon hunter he used to be."Yeah except what is a circle of encouragement?" Angel asked the dummy.

"It's when you gather everyone around and psych them up for the show. Man, how did you manage to get this gig?" Before Angel could reply, Buffy moved off his lap and headed for the door, telling Xander and Willow to get things ready for their performance while they took care of the demon.Over in the auditorium, Giles had gathered everyone up like Angel had told him while Sid and Buffy looked down from on of the catwalks the technicians used to adjust lights and other set things."Can you notice anyone missing?" Sid asked.

"No they all seem to be there," Buffy said, double checking her search; maybe they were wrong and it wasn't anyone in the show."So that boy is a slayer too, huh?" Sid asked and Buffy saw him staring at Angel."Yeah what of it?" "How old is he?" Buffy was getting nervous with all the questions."Seventeen, what's with the third degree on my boyfriend?"

"Interesting, he cares about you a lot; I say he may even love you." Buffy didn't react, she knew Angel loved her just like he knew that she loved him, they had said as much on his seventeenth birthday and everyday since then."Look I'm gonna look around see if we've missed anything." With that, Buffy jumped down onto the now empty stage. When she looked back up, she couldn't see Sid and he didn't respond when she called his name.Buffy was walking backwards and didn't see the person behind her until she walked into him. She started to fall, but two strong arms wrapped around her waist halting her. Tilting her head backwards, she saw her concerned boyfriend."Hey I didn't see anyone missing, so I was going to look for clues. Wanna come?" At his nod, she straightened up, and then went back to the spot where she tripped over Morgan's body. There wasn't much room and Angel accidentally knocked her into a shelf full of props, which made something fall  
into her hands.It took a while for either slayer to process what Buffy was holding, but when they did Buffy quickly threw it on the ground, a look of disgust and worry coming onto her face.

"I'm never going to stop washing my hands," Buffy muttered while Angel smirked slightly as he bent down to investigate the brain."I think this used to belong to Morgan." Angel got a worried feeling in the pit of his stomach and looked up at Buffy who nodded; they hardly needed words now. Taking her arm, they headed back towards the library."I don't understand. Why did it reject Morgan's Brain?" Buffy asked the other three teens; she had thoroughly washed her hands and now was waiting while Willow hacked into the school files so they could see Morgan's records.

"I don't know, it looked like he was pretty smart, according to his files he was taking college courses," Willow read as Xander looked over her shoulder, Angel was focusing on who the demon could be. For once he hadn't picked up any strange vibes from the other students in the talent show, and it  
was annoying him. Hell, he hadn't thought anything of Sid until the dummies appearance in Buffy's room. Was his time around Buffy and the others making him soft?"Wow check this out," Xander's voice cut through the male slayer's broodings, as he read something off the computer.'Look at all these absences, and going into the nurses' files, there is an emergency number for the neurology section of Sunnydale hospital," Willow continued."So Morgan didn't have a healthy brain which means the demon still needs one," Angel pointed out "So that means that the demon is still out there, looking for the smartest person around." Buffy said everyone looked to Willow, who fidgeted under their stares. "What?" Willow asked, and then Xander asked a mathematical question which she answered straight away. Then she saw their point; she could be the next victim."That means it could still be one of the talent show students," Angel said just as Buffy got a thought."Giles is with them, along with my mother. They don't know Angel" Buffy was beginning to panic; Angel took her into his arms while tried to reassure her."Don't worry Buffy, Giles can take care of himself and his wife, he is after all . . . Smart." Xander had barely finished his sentence when Buffy ran out of the library at full slayer speed, yelling her father's name.At the auditorium Giles was helping the magician with a trick that involved a guillotine. Joyce had gone to her seat just a short while ago. The student helped Giles into position, placing the watchers head into the gap."Shouldn't my head be further up?" Giles asked, starting to get a suspicious feeling."Oh no. See this way the blade cuts your skull off and your brains just fall out," the student said happily just as he started to cut the rope. Giles gasped as he saw the blade move a little but before the boy could hit  
the rope again, Buffy came and tackled him.Soon she was fighting the demon. She seemed to have the upper hand, until the demon got a good hit in, leaving her a little dazed. Just as it went to attack her, Angel appeared and gave Buffy enough time to clear her head. Then both slayers went at it full throttle, hitting and kicking in perfect sync with each other. Soon enough, they had pushed it into the disappearing box and locked it. They took a breath and glanced to see that Willow and Xander almost had Giles free.Suddenly a demonic looking arm punched through the wooden top, breaking the lock in the process. The box opened to reveal the human form completely gone. The demon's strength had increased as well proving to be more of a challenge now. Buffy managed to get the demon lined up with the guillotine just as  
Willow got Giles free; Xander had gone and caught the rope when it had finally broke, as soon as the demon was in position Buffy dropped kicked it while Angel told Xander to let go of the rope. In one swift move, the demons head was chopped off.Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and Buffy went to hug Giles as Sid appeared, holding the same knife he was going to use on Buffy. They watched as the Dummy climbed on top of the demon and placed the tip of the blade where the heart was."You have to stab the heart or they just come back," he explained. Buffy looked on with understanding. While they were trying to I.D the demon, he had said once this demon was killed, Sid would die as his human body had turned to dust a long time ago.Buffy held out her hand to take the job but Sid shook his head and she stepped back holding onto Angel's arms as he came up behind her. They all watched as Sid raised the knife and brought it down hitting his mark, the demon shook slightly before going still just as Sid fell on top of it motionless."Is it over?" Willow asked as Buffy picked up the wooden puppet."It's over," she whispered, just as the curtains rose showing the audience sitting patiently for the talent show to start. With the deathly silence, they all managed to hear Snyder mutter,

"I don't get it."

Afterwards the Scooby Gang had a private after party. Together they silently held there respects for the demon hunter called Sid.

Angel came up behind Buffy who had been staring out her bedroom window."He told me that you loved me very much," Buffy said softly as she turned to face him, a lone tear falling down her cheek."You know I do," Angel said, slightly confused with what this had to do with anything. How could she question his love?"I love you so much Angel, it almost scares me when I think about what will happen when…" she trailed off, not able to say the words.Angel understood as slayers they generally didn't live very long lives. Tonight Sid's death paid as a painful reminder to that. After everything they had been through and past all the super enhancements, Buffy was just an ordinary sixteen year old girl who had watched a friend die that night."Stay with me always," she whispered, looking up into his chocolate eyes. Leaning down so his lips were mere inches away from hers, he whispered one word before claiming her lips in a gentle yet passionate kiss."Forever."TBC


	17. Chapter 16

She knew she was near; His power was overwhelming her senses. She came out of a sewer tunnel into a larger chamber. Buffy held her crossbow in the ready position; she could tell that the monster was in the chamber even if she couldn't see him. Wandering in cautiously Buffy felt him draw closer.Turning around, she gasped as the vampire of her recent nightmares was physically before her. She couldn't remember why Angel wasn't with her or why he would let her go into a dangerous situation without him. Right now, none of that seemed to matter as the master drew ever closer, dragging out the moment she started to back away shaking her head saying no.

"Buffy come on wake up, please wake up." Angel was holding her shoulders, shaking her slightly while her mother and father stood at the door looking on, worried. Suddenly, Buffy gasped and opened her eyes. Sitting up quickly, she nearly bashed her head on Angel's.

"Hey what's the emergency?" Buffy asked as if she hadn't had them all concerned when Angel couldn't get her to wake up.

"What did you dream Buffy?" Giles was in full watcher mode. He knew that the female slayer sometimes had prophetic dreams and the closer to an apocalypse, the more frequent and accurate they became.

"Oh just me flunking my English test while trying to juggle geese," Buffy lied, though by the looks she was getting she knew they weren't buying it."Fine I found the Master's lair and for some reason I was by myself when I went to confront him, only when I got there I couldn't move and he just kept getting closer to me. Giles, I couldn't even think of raising my weapon." Buffy was trembling slightly by the end of her retelling and both Joyce and Angel went to give her a hug."Well if you don't feel up to it, you can skip school for today if you want." Joyce said looking to her husband, who nodded his head in agreement."No it's okay, school is good, and I like school. Angel and my friends are there along with my step-dad, I kinda need normal right now." Angel nodded his head in understanding."I think today is a good day to go buy that lottery ticket" Giles stated, sharing a smile with his wife.Everyone left to let Buffy get changed with Angel giving her a soft reassuring kiss before he left. Buffy sat there for a moment reflecting on the dream, before shaking herself and started to get changed. It was just a dream after all and when was the last time a dream hurt anyone? Besides, she needed to get her stuff ready for when her dad came to pick her up.

Buffy sat in class listening to Xander and Wendell describe there encounter with Cordelia, then on to the subject of homework, before the teacher started the lesson. Buffy sighed, picked up her pencil, and started tapping it on the side of her desk. Her mind was on her father. She was happy that she was going to see him, but at the same timed wished he could be more like Giles. Ever since he had married her mother, Giles acted like a better father to Buffy even when she was being a complete brat towards him. Since she wasn't paying enough attention her pencil slipped and fell to the floor. As she bent to pick it up, she noticed someone standing at the door. Looking up, she was surprised to see a young boy standing there. Sitting back up, she heard the teacher ask Wendell to read from the text book, but when he opened it hoard of spiders crawled out. Buffy completely forgot the boy, and as everyone started screaming and running away from the spiders, no one noticed the young kid mutter.

"Sorry about that."Nothing else happened that day and patrol was normal tough. Giles was looking into the whole spiders' incident, not that Buffy really paid any attention for she was too concerned about her dad not showing to pick her up. The next day and with packing for the weekend, she didn't even notice Angel come into  
her room until he placed a hand on her shoulder."Hey, he will be there waiting and ready to pick you up," Buffy smiled even though both he and Giles denied it, she was convinced that the male slayers got the ability to read minds.

"I know," she started lamely then catching Angel's look went on more strongly."Honestly I know, it's just the first time I have seen him since we moved here, and it's going to be weird being secret gal again. Plus, I have to spend the entire weekend away from you." Buffy lowered her eyes not wanting to see Angel laugh at how young and naïve she sounded, so she was not ready for when he lifted her chin and gave her a deep long loving kiss that had them both breathless for a while afterwards."I'm not going to enjoy it either Buffy, I mean at least you get to have a break from training." Angel smiled at the shock in Buffy's eyes at his admission.'Are you telling me that goody good Angel doesn't want to do his training? I'm in shock; you were my idol, now all my dreams are broken." Buffy was cut off as once again Angel kissed her deeply. When they arrived at school the next day they met Willow and Xander at the entrance and began to make their way to the library. Willow was still freaked out by the incident yesterday."Are you sure Giles is looking into the spiders?" Willow asked making all of them smile."I'm sure; he even left early to research it." Angel assured the red headed teen. They all reached the library but paused before entering."Well I'm not too worried" Xander said, making both slayers look at him in shock."You're not?" Buffy asked, sharing a look with Willow and Angel."Whatever it is, we find, you guys slay, we party" Angel just sighed, opening the doors for Buffy and Willow who were both trying not to laugh.

"Thanks for your vote of confidence" Angel muttered to Xander as the other male teen walked past him into the library. They expected Giles to be at the issue desk or the table, but the librarian/watcher was nowhere to be seen. Buffy started to call out when Giles appeared out the stacks looking confused  
and just a bit frazzled."Hey Giles, wakey, wakey" Buffy said teasingly before they all went to business."Any luck with the spiders?" Angel asked, coming up next to Buffy, while Xander walked behind them to be beside Willow."Yeah those big hairy, crawly spiders" Xander continued as both boys lightly touched the girls shoulder with their finger tips, resulting in both Willow and Buffy jumping and then Angel and Xander getting hit, one harder than the other."No not yet, I was in the stacks, then I got lost," the watcher said, the puzzled look returning to his face.

"Well you can keep looking while the rest of us go ask Wendell if anything like this has happened before," Buffy said, taking charge. Then, looping her arm with Willow's, marched past the guys and out of the library. Angel and Xander looked at each other and then grinned, waving goodbye to Giles as they  
rushed to catch up to the girls. They left the watcher standing in front of the stacks, still thoroughly confused.They met up with Wendell in the quad he was sitting on a table staring off into space and it took a couple of tries to get him to respond to them. Just as Wendell was telling them about his nightmares on spiders, Cordelia walks past them."Hey I hope you studied for the history test" Cordelia directed to Buffy, who froze and stared at the cheerleader like she had grown a second head, and then to her boyfriend who didn't seem shocked."What history test? No one told me about a history test" Buffy rambled, as Angel grabbed her hand and started to lead her away from the others."The one we have right now in fourth" Angel said, still leading the stunned and now scared Buffy to the classroom for the test. Willow and Xander stayed with Wendell and decided to get the rest of the information.

Angel stopped in front of a classroom and held the door for Buffy."I figured you didn't know where our class was. How many times have you actually been?" he asked in a teasing manner."I was here for the first day, I think. How am I suppose to past this test, I haven't been to class, don't know anything about it and no one told me." Buffy continued to ramble as Angel and Cordelia looked on with  
sympathy."Blind luck?" Cordelia suggested as she entered the classroom, Buffy dumbly followed her in and took a seat next to Angel. As she sat there, she looked at everybody who was already working on their paper. She sighed as the teacher placed the test on her desk. Lifting up a few sheets, she quickly scanned some of the questions and like she believed, she didn't have a clue how to answer any of them. Looking around, she saw Cordelia give her the 'you should have studied look' while Angel gave her a smile, before they both went back to their tests. Sensing the teachers gaze on her, Buffy looked down at the test paper and saw the place to write her name."At least I know my own name" Looking at the clock, she picked up her pencil and began to write her name or at least she tried to. As soon as the lead hit the paper, the pencil broke. Buffy barely held back a groan before reaching for her sharpener. When she finished, she looked back at the clock and did a double take. It had almost been an hour since she last looked up. Sighing, she went to write her name and the bell rang.Buffy sat up as the other students handed in their completed tests. As she just sat there, she looked to the door and the same kid as before was standing there. Frowning, she watched him move away, completely ignored by the other students.

Around the corner, a couple of girls were discussing their plans for the evening when one of them indicated she was going for a smoke in the basement. They didn't see the young boy or here his warning.Down in the basement as the young girl was getting her matches, a shadow moved in the darkness, and then just as she got it to light the thing attacked her. She fell to the floor and screamed but it kept hitting at her with its club-like arm until she fell unconscious.


	18. Chapter 17

Buffy and Giles returned from the hospital after talking to the girl that had gotten attacked, she described him as a monster and that he kept saying lucky 19. Now they were in the library where they had met up with Angel, and were going through recent newspapers for any similar attacks. At least the two slayers were Giles for some reason wasn't able to understand anything on them.

Buffy had just found an article about a boy who had beaten into a coma after a baseball game, when the library doors opened and Hank Summers entered through them. All three stopped what they were doing and made sure that there was nothing that Hank shouldn't see lying around.

"Hey dad, you're here early" Buffy gave him a slight hug before pulling back she saw the look her father gave Giles and just managed not to roll her eyes.

"I gather you remember Giles and Angel" all the men nodded to each other respectfully and Angel walked over to grasped Buffy's hand firmly in his, a move which didn't go unnoticed by Hank.

"So you were just gonna mention why you came early" Buffy cut in hoping to diffuse a situation before one could be started. Besides it wasn't like Hank had any say in her life now and even if he did she probably ignore it because he was ignorant of her being a slayer.

"We need to talk, privately" he added when he saw Giles and Angel move closer to Buffy.

"Um sure okay, you guys carry on here see if Willow or Xander have found anything." Then taking her dads arm led him out of the library. Both men looked at each other before carrying on with their research.

Buffy led her father out onto a bench; once they were seated she waited for Hank to begin.

"The reason I came early is because I think it's time I told you the truth about why your mother and I divorced, there's no easy way to say it so I'm just going to. It was you" Hank watched impassively as his daughters face went from shock to confusion to grief.

"What?" Buffy didn't want to believe her ears, sure there were times when she thought that she was one reason for her parents problems but to hear it in the open left her wounded in a way a vampire never could.

"Come on is it that hard to believe, anyway I thought it would be better if I told you now instead of later, speaking of which these weekends we are doing, I don't think we should do them anymore" Hank sighed when he saw a tear roll down Buffy's cheek.

"I don't understand" Buffy really wanted Angel with her to help make the pain go away.

"Look I don't think it's very mature of you to start getting all blubbery on me, I thought we could handle this like adults, apparently I mistaken" With that last comment Hank stood up leaving Buffy sitting alone on the bench numb from everything.

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there when she noticed the same boy from before, frowning she stood up and followed him.

In the library Giles and Angel were still researching when Willow and Xander came running in, Xander for some reason was wearing his gym clothes.

"Uh Xander where are your clothes?" Giles asked while Angel looked at Willow when she giggled slightly.

"Boy do I wish I had an answer to that" Xander said.

"It was weird one minute he had his clothes the next he was doing a full Monty in front of the class." Willow said trying not to laugh at the memory.

"It was a nightmare" Xander said making Willow start.

"No it was your nightmare Xander just like the spiders were Wendell's" Everyone started to put things together.

"So our dreams are coming true?" Xander asked.

"No not our dreams our nightmares and it's all linked to Billy" Angel said looking at Giles.

"Yes when he was put into that coma he must have somehow been able to project his nightmares into our reality, which caused all our nightmares to start coming real." Giles summarized.

"Gee thank you Billy" Xander said sarcastically.

"We must wake him before our reality gets too distorted to exist." Giles said heading out of the library.

"We've got to find Buffy with the stuff she sometimes dreams" Angel said.

"Be careful, we find Buffy then go and try to wake up Billy." Giles said as they reached a crossroads in the corridors.

"And if we can't wake him?" Xander asked, but Giles didn't answer and just walked off down one hallway while Angel headed down an other, Xander shrugged his shoulders and started down one himself leaving Willow all alone.

"Guys do you think it's wise to separate." Willow said feebly when she realised she was alone.

Buffy had followed Billy to the gymnasium and found him sitting on the bleachers inside all alone.

"Is your name Billy?" She asked softly not wanting to scare the young boy.

"Yes, you shouldn't be here" Billy said looking up.

"Well I think its you who's lost, what are you doing here?" She said sitting down close.

"Hiding, it's all I can do he always finds me, then I run and hide again" Billy said looking scared.

"Who?" Buffy noticed that Billy was staring at something behind her and when she turned around she saw a monster type thing heading there way, before she could react he knocked her off the seats and started toward Billy.

"Lucky 19"

Buffy quickly recovered and engaged the creature, but he was too strong and managed to get in a good hit, forcing her self up Buffy grabbed Billy's arm and headed for the exit.

"Come on he's too strong for me, but I have friends who can help, we just have to make to the library." Buffy said pulling Billy along.

They headed down different corridors but never managed to get to the library the last door led them outside next to the baseball court, where Billy stopped to watch, while Buffy tried to gather her surroundings.

"Do you like baseball?" she asked when she noticed Billy watching.

'Yeah, we lost my last game, and it's all my fault, I should've caught the last ball and I didn't." Billy said looking down.

'Hey isn't there like seven other players in the team, I'm sure you didn't lose that game because of you." Buffy heard a sound and looked to see the creature coming towards them. Noticing the hedge next to them she pushed Billy through then she followed to find that they were now in a cemetery at night.

'This can't be good" getting a strong feeling she knew a vampire was close by.

"Hello slayer" turning around slowly Buffy spotted the Master on top of a mausoleum.

"No, you can't be out, this isn't real." She said backing up slowly turning around to run, she saw the Master already there.

"Oh this is very real, because you dreamt it, and because you dreamt it everyone you care about will die." the Master then moved faster then she could blink grabbed Buffy by the throat and threw her into an open grave nearby. When Buffy landed the coffin closed and the Master began to bury it with her in it.

Outside the school Giles, Willow, Xander and Angel met up again, each had lived through a personal nightmare but no one had found Buffy.

"Uh guys since when has there been a cemetery outside the school" Willow asked making them all look across the street.

"Also its night" Xander said pointing out obvious.

"Buffy" Angel said before rushing off towards it, Giles close behind him; they got halfway there when they ran into Joyce.

"Oh Rupert, I've been so scared and I've got a horrible feeling about Buffy." Giles gave her a quick hug and started explaining everything as the group started towards the graveyard again.

When they got there, the place seemed deserted except for one fresh grave, when Angel ran the headstone he ran to it and double checked to see if he was just hallucinating, but the horrible words would not go away.

Buffy Anne Summers.

"No" Joyce screamed as her and Giles fell to the ground just before the grave.

"I don't understand whose nightmare is this" Willow asked quietly.

"All of ours, I have failed, them both" Giles said looking at the almost catatonic male slayer at the head of the grave letting his fingers trace around the letters on the tomb. Suddenly a hand shot out the ground making everyone jump. Angel was the first to react grabbing hold and pulling, soon Buffy was out of the ground but there was something horribly wrong.

"Thanks you guys I thought I was a goner." When she noticed that no one was responding she got nervous.

"What?" It was Willow who answered.

"Buffy your face" everyone watched as the female slayer slowly raised her hand to her face when she felt the fangs and the rigged brow she almost passed out, she saw Angel start towards her and threw herself away.

"Don't look at me" she screamed turning her self away from everyone, especially her family, she jumped when she felt Angels arms come around her.

"Buffy this isn't real it's just a nightmare, everything will go away once we wake up Billy." Giles said, wrapping his arm around Joyce who had barely moved since they had found the grave.

"This is real" Buffy said saddened when her own mother wouldn't meet her eyes.

"We better go, I'm getting hungry" Buffy said leaving Angle's arms and headed for the hospital.

"She was kidding right" Xander asked speaking for the first time since entering the graveyard, he quickly threw up his hands in surrender when Angel shot him a murderous glare, before running to catch up with Buffy.

They managed to get to the hospital to see it in chaos, they made there way through it to Billy's room once they were in Buffy kept watched while Giles and the others tried to wake up the sleeping boy.

"That won't work" Billy said waking everyone jump.

"Billy you need to wake up' Joyce said.

"I can't, I have to keep hiding." Billy said

"From who?" Xander asked then everyone looked at Buffy when she suddenly moved.

"From that" she all but growled making sure the others would stay to keep watch over Billy she entered the hallway.

"Lucky 19" The creature rumbled.

"Scary, you know what there's a lot of scarier things in the world then you, and I'm one of them" Buffy said steeping into the light so the creature could see her face clearly it faltered for a bit before it kept coming. With a growl Buffy attacked. It was raw power vs. raw power; the fight was brutal ending in the hospital room.

Before Buffy killed the monster she stopped and held her hand out to Billy who just shook his head and stepped back.

"It will never be over until you confront him" Buffy said quietly slowly Billy took her hand then lifted his other one to the creatures face as if t rip it off, when Billy touched it a bright light shot from the creature, then everything went quiet.

Buffy placed her hand on her face and broke out in a smile when she felt her normal human face, then she was crushed in a strong embrace by Angel, before being placed in her mothers arms.

A sound from the bed made everyone look to see Billy waking up, he looked at them all confused but before anyone could speak someone else entered the room, by the looks of the person, everyone guessed he was Billy's coach.

"Oh your awake that's good everyone was so worried, you're our lucky 19" the coach missed the look being shared amongst the Scooby gang.

"It was you" Billy suddenly said.

"What Billy you don't know what your saying" The coach said suddenly getting nervous.

"No I think he does, you got mad that you lost so you took it out on a defenceless boy"

Buffy said the coach tried to run for it but Xander grabbed him and held him against the door.

"It wasn't my fault; there are seven other players on the team as well." Billy told the coach before Xander and Giles took him away to find a security guard.

Later that night Buffy had called her dad to make sure he was still coming, and wasn't at all shocked when he said that an important business meeting had come up and that he couldn't make it this weekend. Buffy didn't feel too bad about it because she still had Giles.

Moving over to Angel who was sitting on the couch looking off into space, sitting down on his lap she gently reached out to make him face her.

"What did you go through Angel, and don't tell me nothing" she added when she saw him about to dismiss her question. Angel sighed and wrapped his arms around her tightly while resting his forehead on hers.

"It was my parents, blaming me for there deaths saying if I was so powerful why couldn't I save them." Buffy wrapped her arms around him and kissed his forehead.

"You were four Angel, and you were just an ordinary person at that age, there was nothing you could do to prevent anything." Looking deeply into his eyes too make sure he knew she was right Buffy was relieved when she saw the deep love she had gotten accustomed to seeing in them.

"What would I do without you" Angel murmured before claming her lips in a sweet soft gentle kiss.

"You almost had to find out today" she said when they broke apart.

"Buffy when you had a vampire face, at first I was dismayed that I had lost you to the one thing I hate the most, but when you started to act like you, all I saw was your own beautiful face whenever I looked at you. Buffy felt tears gathering at Angels words and hugged him tight.

"I love you Angel"

"I love you too Buffy"

TBC

A.N Happy holidays, soz this took a while but been extremely busy with Christmas around the corner. This is the first chapt that hasn't gone to my beta in a while and that's because this is an early present for her, thanks so much for everyone's support through this fic, I promise to update more regularly after New Years.


	19. Chapter 18

The moon shone down from a clear sky as a gentle breeze blew, it was a perfect night to go for a walk, but many Sunnydale residents choose to either stay inside or drive if they had to go out, their subconscious telling them that it wasn't safe to wander after sunset. That's why no one noticed one small group of teenagers walking through a quiet graveyard.

"Tell me again why we are not Bronzing tonight?" the slightly smaller male asked the group, it was his best friend who answered as the others were preoccupied in making sure they stayed safe.

"Cause Giles said that there is a really important book in one of the crypts in one of the graveyards in this area" The look on the librarians face when he discovered the information could've lit up the entire library.

"So we are giving up the chance of dancing and slacking off to find a dusty old book" Xander said shaking his head.

"It isn't just any book Xander, it's the Codex a complete collection of all prophecies about the slayer, the entire watchers council thought it was lost forever, Giles will be very popular with this discovery." Angel said as he kept sweeping the graveyard for any sign of a vampire attack

"Say Angel, we have all heard Buffy say you are the equivalent to the slayer, and Giles mentions that all slayers are girls so what exactly are male equivalents called?" Xander suddenly asked, making Angel grimace.

"Hunters, for the way we hunt down a slayer when we go evil" Xander went quiet which is how Angel caught Buffy's slight sigh, and feel her stop.

"Buffy what is it?" Willow asked noticing her friends pause.

"I just got a bad feeling about this, I mean what are the chances that this book which has been missing for longer than anyone can remember, and can give us a major edge in the battle against the forces of darkness just happens to be found here, by a watcher for both a slayer and a hunter, and lets not forget that Angel is the first hunter in a very long time to not go evil at seventeen." Buffy had been on edge ever since the discovery of the Codex, there was something inside her that was telling her the book would not bring good news.

"Aw Buff I think you are just over thinking the situation, I like to think that someone up there just likes you" Xander replied coming up and placing his arm around her shoulders.

"I think Xander is right, don't forget we are on a Hellmouth, mystical things are drawn here, I don't think the vamps even know its here either" Angel said taking Xander's arm off Buffy while replacing it with one of his own.

"Is there a book of prophecies for the hunter Angel?" Willow asked curious

"Not anymore, once it became known that we turn evil on our seventeenth birthday the head of the watchers council ordered it to be destroyed and any thing related to it." Angel said as he looked to the ground.

"Hey I think this is the first one our list for tonight" Buffy said pointing too a medium size crypt just in front of them.

""It's a shame he couldn't be more specific about which one the book was in." Angel said heading to the door, the gate came off easily, but the main door was stuck from not being used in years, it took both Angel and Buffy to open it.

"Giles is working on narrowing down the search he said it's just gonna take a little time." Buffy said panting.

"I'm just grateful things seem normal for once at school" Xander said entering the dusty crypt.

"Yeah hasn't it been a week since anything paranormal happened." Willow continued as she started searching the coffins for a sign of the book.

"Week and a half actually" Buffy answered she and Angel was searching the crypt walls, she was glad for the quiet, her grades had also improved but she was guessing that was because Willow was now tutoring her, along with Angel whenever they didn't get sidetracked with making out.

"There's nothing here lets move on to the next one" Angel announced twenty minutes later.

As the group moved on a presence over at Sunnydale high was about to put it's plans into motion on the unexpected students of Sunnydale high.

"Good morning" Giles said entering the kitchen, only Joyce answered then shared a quick kiss as he passed on the way to the fridge and pass the two slayers sitting at the bench leaning against each other both looking only slightly tired.

"So how did last night go? I didn't hear you come in" Giles asked as he sat next to his wife.

"We checked ten different crypts and didn't get in till sunrise" Angel reported as Buffy continued to eat her breakfast.

"Willow and Xander went home at ten we didn't want to get them in trouble with their parents" Buffy added as her and Angel rose to grab their things for school.

"Halt" Giles said both Buffy and Angel stopped and turned to see their watcher looking at them with an almost accusative stare.

"You are sure you didn't get side tracked with other things?" he asked making his wife choke on her coffee, from trying not to laugh at the question.

"If by other things you mean also taking on seven vamps then yes but only to do our job, other then that we have no idea what you are talking about." Buffy said and they left to go meet up with Willow and Xander at the espresso house before school.

"How many times do you think they stopped to make out?" Giles asked his wife while sharing a small smile.

"Oh only about four or five times, they do take their responsibilities seriously, especially Angel as slacking off would put Buffy in danger." Joyce rose from her seat and went to wash her cup. Turning around she squealed slightly as Giles pinned her against the side.

"Have you made the appointment for the doctors yet?" He asked as he slowly started to rub her arms slightly.

"Yes later this afternoon, will you be able to make it?" Giles nodded before claiming his wife's lips with his own. When they broke apart he looked Joyce in her eyes.

"When are we going to tell them?"

"Lets get it confirmed first, but we shouldn't try to hide it, I think Buffy would resent us if we did. I'm worried about her reaction."

"You're right lets us have confirmation before we tell them anything, I have to go now when's the appointment?" Joyce gave him the appointment time after another quick kiss Giles was on his way leaving Joyce to ponder how things might go from here.

The day was going fine, they had three classes lunch and then training, the only thing that could be classed as slightly weird was Giles being late to training, but they dismissed it as he had lunch with Joyce. Then Xander and Willow came rushing in yelling about how Cordelia's recent boyfriend and date to the may queen dance had been attacked.

They arrived at the boys locker room just as Mitch was being rolled out.

"Mitch what happened?" Buffy asked coming up beside him with Angel right behind her.

"The bat attacked me, I heard a laugh the I turn around and the bat starts wailing on me" Mitch starts laughing at how he sounded and the paramedics continued to wheel him a way. The slayers shared a look and headed toward the locker room only to be stopped by none other than principal Snyder.

"Stop where do you two think you are going" he demanded making Buffy thoughts race as she tried to think of an answer while Angel just stared at the principle evenly.

"Uh Mitch forgot his comb, he likes his comb" Buffy blurted out lamely.

"I think Mitch has other concerns at the moment, you two are always poking you nose into what doesn't concern you" his little tirade was cut off when Willow and Xander started talking about suing the school. Nodding his thanks Angel led Buffy into the locker room.

"The place was a mess, whatever happened Mitch put up a real fight" Buffy reported to the gang as she sat in Angel's lap.

"So much for things being normal huh" Xander commented.

"Do we have any idea what happened?" Joyce asked school had finished a while ago and they were convened in the library.

"Not really but it left a message, I'm guessing it's going to strike again" Angel said joining the conversation.

"Why do you say that Angel?" Willow asked getting nervous at the thought of being attacked without any warning, at least with vamps you would either see or hear them coming at you.

"The message was only word LOOK, doesn't really make any sense" Buffy answered for her boyfriend.

"Well I think everyone should be on guard and try not to be alone especially at school, since this is the only place that this has happened" Giles said coming out of his office from checking the newspaper for similar instances.

"Anyone else feel a but coming?" Xander asked.

"However, we must continue our search for the Codex." Giles said sending a glare Xander's way, and making the other teens sigh.

"Giles is right, I'll take up first watch in the school tonight then Angel can carry on with the search for the codex and tomorrow we will swap" Buffy said jumping off her boyfriends lap, Giles nodded his consent as Angel rose and wrapped an arm around Buffy's waist, the bell then decided to ring electing another sigh from the teens in the library making the two adults smile before he remembered something important.

"Buffy, Angel we need you to come home before patrol, there is something Joyce and I need to tell you." seeing the nervous almost cautious look on Buffy's face Giles smiled.

"It's nothing bad, I assure you" Buffy nodded then let Angel guide her out of the library and to their shared English class.

Notes

The whole Angel being a Hunter thing was because a reviewer said only females could be slayers and at the very beginning of my story I said he was the equivalent of a slayer not actually called one.

Codex is just slayer lore not hunter

Any questions don't hesitate to ask.

Thanks to any reviewers it really means a lot and would like everyone to know that i really am trying harder to update more frequently i just had a really hard month that has left me mentally, emotionally and pyshically drained but i am having a little time off from work very soon so i can concentrate more on my stories.


	20. Chapter 19

Buffy was a bundle of nerves when she and Angel got home from school, even though Giles had said it wasn't anything bad she was beginning to believe it was, and said it wasn't because he didn't want Willow or Xander to worry, grasping Angel's hand firmly she stopped him before he entered the dinning room where Joyce and Giles were waiting for them.

"What's wrong Buffy" Angel asked seeing the fear in his beloved's face.

"What if they are getting a divorce, I don't think I could go through that again, I can't lose another father Angel, not one who actually acts like one too." There were tears gathering in her eyes, Angel pulled her close to him wrapping his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead reassuringly before tilting her face up gently to look her in the eyes.

"Giles said it wasn't anything bad, and has he ever lied to you before?" Buffy shook her head slightly leaning up she kissed him ever so softly before putting on a brave face and walked into the dinning room, Angel right behind her.

"Ok well thanks for coming, I know you guys are pretty busy with slayer things at the moment." Joyce said breaking the silence in the room, she looked to her husband signalling him to continue, they had decided it would be better if Giles made the announcement.

"Well I would love to announce that Joyce and I will be having a baby" The silence that followed the statement was deafening as Buffy tried to process what exactly she had been told.

"Congratulations" Angel said moving to grasp Buffy's hand in his, she had barely even moved since hearing the news.

Buffy was in shock, a baby, she certainly wasn't expecting this, instead of feeling happy for her mother and Giles she could only think that it was just another person she will have to keep safe while her parents dote on their completely normal child, she felt a pressure on her hand and knew it was Angel, that made her smile slightly as no matter what she would always have him.

Looking towards her parents she tried to be happy for them but at the moment it was still to fresh, getting up with a sigh Buffy headed out to do her patrol on the high school. Earlier on she had overheard Cordelia telling her friends that she was gonna try her dress on tonight at the school so Buffy thought it would be best to get there before Cordelia did to make sure it was safe.

Joyce looked at the spot where her daughter was moments before , tears came to her eyes at Buffy's reaction, while Joyce knew that her daughter wouldn't be jumping for joy she was at least expecting some small sign of happiness even it was for her sake only. Joyce felt Giles place his arm around and she buried herself into his chest as the tears came.

Angel watched as Joyce cried into Giles chest he felt sorry for them but couldn't be mad at Buffy for making her mother cry either, he knew Buffy and right now she was just as messed up as her mother was, only her slayer instincts and training was letting her hide it. Turning to his beloved's parents he sighed and stood up but didn't leave.

"I know you was probably expecting a different reaction, but just give her some time you'll see she is happy for you guys, I'm going to head out and carry on with the Codex search, I think it's best if you guys stayed in tonight, look after each other ok." At seeing Giles nod Angel knew it was ok to leave.

The next morning Angel was woken by a panicked Joyce, apparently Buffy hadn't come home the night before, his grumpiness at being woken after only an hour sleep was soon forgotten as his brained started to picture all the horrible things that could've happened to his beautiful Buffy, he couldn't even remember the last time he had said I love to her. Gaining control of his emotions Angel got dressed and told Giles he was going to check the school to see if he could get a feel for her, after quickly reassuring Joyce that Buffy could take care of herself Angel ran at full speed towards the school.

When he got there he was relieved to see it was still very empty and he could feel Buffy inside the building, to him Buffy's presence almost felt like a vampire but slightly stronger and much warmer. He followed it as it got stronger and wasn't at all surprised that he was heading towards the library.

He softly opened the door, he slightly panicked when he couldn't see her straight away then he relaxed as he spotted her on the steps leading up to the stacks sound asleep with a book on the ground next to her. Angel smiled at the picture she created and slowly made his was over to her, she looked so peaceful that he loathed to wake her, leaning closer he place a sensual kiss on her lips and after a few seconds felt her respond as she wrapped her arms around his neck and made the kiss deeper.

Angel moaned and ran his hands through her hair, using his tongue to thoroughly explore her mouth before pulling back to look into her hazel eyes, which were slowly opening to see him staring at her.

"Why did you stop, and I thought you were looking for the Codex tonight." she said softly as she nuzzled her face against his neck, leaning further into him, not missing the fact that he was aroused as much as she was, she couldn't wait for when they finally got to make love, if they got this aroused from a simple kiss she couldn't wait to see how they would react to being with each other fully.

"I did search for the Codex all night pretty much, then I went home and to bed where I started to dream about a certain beautiful slayer, only to be awakened by her panicked mother because her daughter hadn't come home after her patrol." Angel said sitting down on the steps and then pulled Buffy onto his lap.

"It's morning already?" Buffy asked when her boyfriend nodded in confirmation, she felt bad for making her parents worry but was still getting over her happy on how Angel had woken her up.

"You know I could get use to waking up like this" she commented softly as she placed little kisses along Angel's neck.

"What in the library so any passer by can come in and kiss you awake?" Angel asked jokingly before capturing her lips in his again making Buffy moan and move closer to him turning so she was straddling him. Angel's hands started to explore her body finding the gaps between her top and pants making her gasp into his mouth whenever he made contact with skin, while Buffy had one hand playing with the hair at the back of his neck and the other holding onto his shoulder for support. Just as they were really getting into it they heard a slight cough from behind Buffy and they broke apart to see Giles standing there half amused and half annoyed.

"Giles I found her" Angel said rather sheepishly and Buffy found her heart beating even harder at the carefree look on his face, it was so rare to see him fully smile and act like the teenager he is that it always throws her. He looks younger and his smile is just to die for, Buffy thought she was gonna faint when he directed that smile directly at her and only the fact that her step dad was steps away stopped her from completely throwing herself at him again.

"So I see" Giles said looking rather pointedly at Angels hand that was still inside her shirt, at the look Angel rapidly removed his hand and stood up bringing Buffy with him but refused to let her leave his arms completely, Buffy seemed to agree with him and just snuggled even closer to him.

"Giles I'm really sorry if I got you and mom worried I just lost track of time is all I promise it won't happen again." Buffy truly was sorry she wasn't mad at them it's not like they entirely planned on Joyce getting pregnant, she pulled out of Angel's arms and went to give her step-dad a hug.

"I better go tell your mother that you are fine and unharmed" Giles headed off to his office to call his wife leaving the slayer and hunter alone again. When Buffy turned around she found Angel looking at the book that was next to her when he found her.

"Why was you looking at your yearbook from Hemery Buffy?" Angel asked quickly glancing over all the notes in it from various people a lot were from guys asking her out. Shutting the book quickly he turned to his girlfriend who was staring at him with a smile.

"What?"

"I love you" she said softly coming up to him and placing a soft kiss on his lips while taking the yearbook from him and placing it back in the book cage where Giles kept his more personal books as well as the more detailed occult books that were best not seen by Snyder or other students.

"So Buffy how did last night go?" Giles asked as he came out of his office.

"Dull I watched Cordelia try her may dance dress on, then this is where it starts to get strange I started to here music, a flute I think coming from the music room, but when I get there no one is in there, the music stops and it sounds like someone is moving around in the room, I think we are dealing with a ghost." Buffy said detailing her night Giles nodded his journal already out making notes on what she said then turned to Angel.

"Nothing but I have this strong feeling I'm getting close, I have a free last period, so I'm going to go back to the cemetery I was in last night and continue looking" Giles again nodded before closing his journal and turned to look at his two charges.

Since school doesn't start for another hour how bout you do some training, I think we can begin swords today, but first hand to hand." Buffy clapped her hands excitedly, happy that they were going to move on to swords finally.

Later on during a break between classes Buffy saw Cordelia and Harmony up ahead and now thought it would be time to ask the Queen C if she had seen anything strange, besides from yesterday when Cordelia had refused to give Buffy a chocolate for her May Queen campaign the girl had pretty much been ignoring the fact that Buffy actually existed even to the point of flirting with Angel right in front of her, a couple of times Angel had to drag her away before Buffy forgot the second rule of slaying don't hurt humans.

Seeing that Harmony and Cordelia had moved away from the drinking fountain Buffy hurried up to catch them up.

"Cordelia can I have a word with you for a minute" Cordelia pulled a face and was about to make a comment when Harmony suddenly went flying down the steps they were standing next to.

Buffy and Cordelia rushed down the steps together to see Harmony sitting up clutching her left ankle and Snyder coming to crouch down beside her while barking orders at other students to get to the nurse.

"What happened?" Buffy asked immediately earning herself a glare from Snyder.

"Who's the principal here? What happened?" He asked Harmony but Cordelia in a frantic state rushed ahead answering for her friend.

"She fell we were standing there and she just fell" Cordelia stated actually on the verge of tears.

"What, no I was pushed" Buffy started to drown them out as she heard soft feminine giggle back at the top of the stairs, as she went back up to investigate she heard Harmony cry out slightly and Snyder saying not too sue causing her to smile.

Buffy followed the giggling which was moving back towards the building, she followed the sound to the music room but just like the night before there was no one to be seen. Buffy suddenly was forced a couple of steps back as something unseen barged straight into her she heard the same banging as last night then nothing.

"Hello, you don't have to be scared, I want to help." Buffy waited a couple of minutes for some sort of response before heading towards the hall, at the class door she turned around just in time to see one of the roof panels move slightly, deciding to come back later, she went to the library to see how Willow was coming with the missing and dead list of students Giles asked her to do after the attack on Mitch yesterday.

In the library Buffy was slightly surprised to see the whole gang there instead of in class but shrugged it off due to the new supernatural thing going on. It was times like these when Buffy really appreciated Willow and Xander, they didn't have to help out with all of this supernatural stuff which often left them in mortal danger, they did it so that she and Angel didn't have to do it alone. Buffy thanked whatever powers that brought these people into her life.

Angel noticed Buffy's pause as she entered the library, it looked like she was thinking of something but the smile on her face let him know it wasn't anything bad so he went back to his research as she went to sit by her red-headed best friend.

"Hey how's that list doing?" Buffy asked as she sat next to Willow, who was on the computer.

"You know before I knew about the whole vampires and supernatural thing I never realised how many people actually went missing, I didn't even find it strange that we had an obits column in our school paper either, now that I know I can't understand how I didn't notice." Buffy patted her shoulder gently before moving over to Angel.

"You know you never answered why you was looking at your old year book" Angel stated looking up from the book he was reading.

"Just reminiscing I guess about the times when I made Cordelia look like a scholar, and I dunno I guess seeing her last night trying on her dress with all her followers, I missed it a little, then you came and woke me up, then I walked in here and I saw my friends helping us with our scared calling I realised that right now my life is pretty much perfect." Buffy leaned over to kiss Angel on his cheek before sitting next to Xander and getting a start on her homework.

Angel heard a sigh and saw Giles behind him heading towards the stacks, guessing that he heard Buffy's speech and that she never mentioned the pregnancy, Angel just shook his head then got ready to leave to find the Codex, he knew that it was something that they had to sort out amongst themselves.

"Giles I'm going to the cemetery, I think I'm really close to finding the Codex." Angel called out before leaving the library. He knew he was close to finding the book last night he could practically sense it, it was like sensing Buffy only much more older, almost ancient as if it was not ever meant to be disturbed. Angel however knew that it held information about the upcoming fight with the master, just like he felt that something very bad was going to happen to someone he cared about.

Meanwhile Buffy had also left the library and was heading back to the music room standing up on a chair she pushed up on the panel that had moved earlier and was not at all surprised when it lifted up, pulling herself up she moved into the crawl space. After crawling for a bit she found a bigger open space and what looked like a sort of nest.

Moving over she started to go through the nest looking for something to identify their invisible person, when she moved a blanket something caught her eye. Buffy was so involved with her investigation she failed to notice the thing she was investigating was watching her and was know holding a sharp looking kitchen knife up.

Buffy picked up the item and saw that it was a Sunnydale High year book turning through the pages taking notes on the signature pages then she turned another page and stopped, closing the book she looked for a name on the cover.

"Marcy, so that's who you are" deciding that she had enough Buffy stood up and left never noticing that Marcy still held the knife threateningly at the place where the slayer sat moments ago.

When Buffy got back down from the ceiling she realised that it was lunch and that Cordelia was going to be giving her victory speech in the quad after it was announced that she had won the crown earlier. She leant against a post and watched with a blank face as the May Queen began to speak, out the corner of her eye she saw Xander and Willow walking towards her.

"Hey, how's our favourite soon to be a big sister Buffster?" Xander said once in hearing range.

"So you guys know huh?" Buffy said placing a smile on her face.

"Yeah Angel told us when we asked why you was acting strange, well we have the list all completed we just have to narrow it down to one." Willow said as they all glanced over at Cordelia when she had gotten a cheer from the crowd, that was when they spotted the men in suits watching Cordelia.

"Did Cordelia get body guards?" Buffy asked

"Who knows maybe" Xander said. Then the teens headed off to the library when the crowd in the quad broke up, everyone talking about the dance at the Bronze that night.

Before Buffy could get the chance to show everyone what she found in the ceiling of the music room the bell had rung for class and Giles forced them to go to at least one class that day. Luckily the class went quickly and soon the Scooby gang (bar Angel) was in the library ready to listen to Buffy.

"Kay I went back to the music room because both times that is where I lost the track of our invisible friend, the last time I was there just before I left I notice a ceiling panel move so I went back to investigate and you wouldn't believe what I found." So Buffy went on to explain the nest and how it looked like someone had been living there for a while, then she brought out her biggest find.

"Did either of you know her?" Buffy asked as she flipped to the signing page at their shakes she showed them the pages.

"Wow this girl had no friends" Willow said as they looked over the page all anyone had write was 'Have a good summer' Giles as normal when dealing with teenager social circles was as confused as ever.

"I'm definitely feeling the generation gap at the moment" he said stating that he didn't understand Willow's statement.

"Have a nice summer, is what you write when you have nothing to say" Buffy explained softly before turning to her friends.

"And you're sure you never knew her?" already knowing their answer.

"No why?" Xander asked then held his breathe when Buffy pointed out to where both had signed the book.

"Have a nice eessh" Xander said as Willow read hers.

"Have a great summer, see I cared" the redhead said nervously before pulling up Marcy's classes from the list her and Xander had made earlier.

"Xander we each had three classes with her" Willow said mournfully how had she completely missed her, she wasn't like Cordelia she was nice to everyone and wasn't picky on who she hung with.

"She was also a member of band, played the flute" Buffy said although they already knew that.

"So why did she become invso-girl, because everyone ignored her" Xander said slightly joking.

"Of course" Giles said getting out of his chair and heading towards the books behind him, spotting out scientific words which just left the teens confused.

"Giles English please" Buffy almost yelled stopping her step-dad mid rant.

"Well there's a theory, that the word exists the way we perceive it, so if everyone perceived Marcy as invisible, she would eventually turn invisible." Giles finished up closing a book and coming back to the table.

"So this wasn't because of the hell mouth?" Buffy asked when he had rejoined them.

'I suppose it could've helped, made it easier for the girl to go invisible." Giles conceded, nodding slightly with his thought.

'My god this isn't something that happened to her, it was something that was done to her, that we did" Willow said unbelieving the power a group of people had as a whole.

"So we know who she is and how she became invisible, but what does she want?" Xander asked the group. Buffy grabbed the book again and turned a few pages then showed the table. This time the entire page was of Cordelia with some prize, but the disturbing thing about the picture was how Marcy had drew all over it placing a crown on her head, and written Die all over the page.

"So I'm guessing she wants Cordelia?" Willow summarized meekly, even though she felt sorry for Marcy and didn't even really like Cordelia but still she didn't want the May Queen to get seriously hurt after all she had known Cordelia as long as Xander.

"Yep and I'm guessing she is fixated on the May queen dance tonight." Buffy said just as the library doors burst open and their conversation topic burst into the library obviously panicked.

"It's all about me isn't it, me, me , ME" Cordelia screamed at them, stunning them into momentary silence.

"For once she's right" Xander breaking the silence. As Giles got up and pulled a chair out for the shaken girl.

"Here are you" Giles suddenly stopped a thoughtful expression coming over his face.

"You know I don't recall you ever being in here before." Giles said suddenly and nothing could prepare him for the brunettes answer.

"Oh no I have a life" before turning to Buffy.

"Ok tell us what happened Cordelia." Buffy said as nicely as possibly after the teens insult.

Cordelia took a big breathe then went on to explain how she went to their English class so their teacher could give them points on the paper they were working on, but when she got there she found her teacher being suffocated with a plastic bag but no one was holding the bag. So she got the bag from the teacher's head and when she looked up to the board, a piece of chalk was floating in mid-air then spelt out the word 'LISTEN'.

"So I came here cuz Buffy has all them weapons, and she seems to know a lot about this stuff, so I was thinking that she must be in some sort of gang." Making Buffy roll her eyes, turning Marcy's yearbook around and turning to the class pictures showed it to Cordelia.

"We think that it has something to do with this girl" Buffy deliberately left out Marcy's name seeing if the cheerleader recognized her at all.

"Oh God" Cordelia responded making the rest of them go into shock that she recognized someone they didn't.

"You know her?" Willow asked.

"I can't believe she's wearing that jumper" There was the cheerleader they all knew.

"So suicidal?" Xander asked before Buffy could get them back on track.

"Look, it seems like Marcy's bent on the May Queen dance seeing how she hasn't acted yet."

"Maybe Cordelia shouldn't go to the dance then." Willows suggestion was immediately rejected by Cordelia who refused to let Marcy win by not going to the dance, normally her argument would go unheard but to add another surprise on the many they have had already Buffy actually agreed.

"Giles you Willow and Xander should focus on finding and hopefully restoring Marcy's visibility, while I play body guard to Cordelia, if Angel comes back with the book he was looking for tell him to head over to the Bronze, I have a feeling I'm going to be spending the majority of my night there." Buffy then proceeded to push Cordelia out of the library.

The girls had picked up the May Queens dress and Buffy was now looking for a safe place so Cordelia could change into it, so far they had spent the time with Buffy trying to explain exactly what had happened to Marcy.

"So she became invisible because no one wanted to be her friend, that's so sad" Cordelia was barely able to believe that right now she was with the loser Buffy and squad and had choose to go to them voluntarily now some weird invisible girl was after her, because she had simply been ignored by everyone.

Buffy stopped at a storage closet and peeked inside it looked safe enough, though she just wanted to get away from Cordelia, if she hadn't continually flirted with Angel right in front of Buffy, and didn't represent the one thing form Buffy's past she didn't want to remember Buffy thought she could of spent more time with the girl as it was listening to her fake sympathy almost made Buffy hurt her.

'Come on, in here is safe" Buffy motioned towards the closet.

'A storage closet, if you tell anyone I changed in here" Cordelia let the treat hang as she closed the door behind her.

"You know I can relate to Marcy, I mean sure I popular and have all these friends, but they are so busy listening to what I say, that they don't actually hear anything I say" Buffy stared at the door actually listening to Cordelia.

"So why do you work so hard at being popular?" Buffy already knew the answer because just two years ago she was exactly like Cordelia, probably worse.

"It's better to be lonely and popular, then lonely and by yourself." Buffy smiled maybe there was hope for the girl yet, but before Buffy could actually tell Cordelia anything she started to hear struggling from the other side of the door.

"Cordelia?" Buffy tried the handle but Marcy had locked it, relaxing her body, Buffy quickly punched through the door just in time to See Marcy drag a still screaming and struggling Cordelia up into the ceiling. Buffy just grabbed onto the poll that was in the closet and swung herself after them already knowing that Marcy was going to take Cordelia to her nest.

By the time Buffy got there the May Queen had been knocked out and placed on Marcy's make shift bed. Buffy went to check on her she barely managed to find out that Cordelia was ok before Marcy tackled her, pushing booth of them through the roof, leaving Buffy very dazed.

Marcy dropped a first aid bag next to the fallen slayer and quickly brought out a needle full of sedative and before Buffy knew it she was joining Cordelia in the land of unconsciousness.

About half an hour after Buffy and Cordelia had left the library Willow, Xander and Giles started to hear a flute being played, they all looked at each other before exiting the library to follow the sound to its origin. They were led into the boiler room where they found a stereo with a tape inside of the flute playing, and just as they all figured it out, they rushed to the door just in time to see it slam shut.

Cordelia woke up to find herself at the Bronze sitting on her throne like chair that had been brought in for the dance, looking across she saw Buffy still out of it in the chair reserved for her date, something glittering on the curtain made Cordelia turn to it, and there spelt out with glitter Marcy had written 'LEARN'. Cordelia decided it was time to wake up Buffy.

"Buffy was awoken by Cordelia yelling her name, at the moment she awoke her slayer instincts kicked in, letting her know she was tied up and tied up well, looking over to her fellow captive Buffy was actually very thankful that Cordelia seemed unharmed though there seemed to be something slightly wrong with her face. Cordelia pointed over to the curtain before finally cluing in to the fact that something was wrong.

"What's wrong with my face, I can't feel my face." just as Marcy pushed in a medical cart.

"Oh I just gave you a local nerve number, I mean what's the fun on cutting you if you're just gonna pass out." Marcy gave a little sadistic laugh cluing Buffy into the fact that all the time alone had made the girl crazy, then she noticed at how close the tray was and Buffy managed to get a scalpel and started to cut the ropes that held her.

"Look Marcy I know your mad but if you just let me talk you'll see I'm not much different then you" Cordelia tried to reason.

"No, no you see you can't talk yourself out of this, you know it's all about your face, your pretty little face, well after I'm done your gonna have a face that no one will ever forget." Marcy was so busy focusing on Cordelia that she failed to notice that Buffy had cut her self free.

'You don't understand I know how you feel" this statement only seem to fuel Marcy's anger and she slashed a cut along Cordelia's face making the cheerleader start to scream, Buffy took this as her cue and kicked the med tray into Marcy making her stumble far away that Buffy could get the ropes away from her and try to cut Cordelia free who still hadn't stopped screaming from the cut that wasn't at all deep.

Thanks to Marcy being Invisible Buffy never saw her coming and she was pushed away from Cordelia as Marcy kept putting blow over blow onto Buffy stopping long enough for the slayer to try and hit her before making the next strike. Finally Buffy managed to get in a lucky strike and once again knocked Marcy away. Realizing that she wasn't going to easily win this on touch alone, Buffy sternly told the cheerleader to shut up.

Buffy stood perfectly still listening very carefully to every sound in the building, then there a slight creak from the floor to the right of her, and again much closer, waiting patiently Buffy made sure Marcy was right in front of her before placing a well aim punch right into Marcy making the girl stumble into the curtain and wrapping it around her, making her visible to Buffy.

"Guess what, I can see you" With another well placed punch Buffy knocked out Marcy, then went to untie Cordelia, the second she was free the Bronze door burst open admitting the two men in suits from before.

"FBI freeze" Buffy did as was told and answered there questions.

"You guys are very creepy" she said as they left before deciding to leave herself as she was no longer needed to protect Cordelia who had gone to the bathroom to try and conceal her cut.

Buffy had taken two steps out of the Bronze when Angel came running up to her and embraced her tightly.

"Not that I don't mind being embraced like that from you, what's the matter?" Buffy asked taking his hand as they started to walk home.

Angel explained how he had got to the school and because no one else had been there had managed to hear Xander and Giles banging on the boiler room door. Apparently Marcy had managed to lock them along with Willow in there, then he had found the place where she had crashed through the roof. So Giles had told him to try the Bronze which he did.

"Um my very own protector" Buffy said leaning into his side as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"You know it Buffy, I wouldn't know what I would do if I lost you, I love you" Angel declared stopping so he could pull her into his arms for a deep and passionate kiss. A kiss that finally made Buffy realize something about herself in that moment.

"Angel I want you to make love to me" Angel paused at the statement then pulled back so he could look deeply into her eye', he could see her love for him easily and the certainty of the statement to know she was ready.

With a growl Angel swooped down to ravage her lips with his then he twined his hand with hers and they both started to walk quicker back to their house.

When they got in they were trying to decide how to deal with Giles and Joyce when they noticed that the house was empty. Buffy immediately went to the fridge knowing that it was most likely a not from her mother would be and she was right. It seemed that Joyce was gonna spend the night with Giles helping him translate the Codex, there was dinner in the oven and that they were going to go out the next night to celebrate the pregnancy.

Buffy turned to Angel with a smirk, it seemed that fate was helping them tonight , walking up to her boyfriend she wrapped her arms around his neck and leant up to place feather light kisses along his lips, angel moaned and managed to catch Buffy's teasing lips with his own to make the kiss more passionate. Slowly they made their way to Angel's room where they proceeded to show each other exactly how much they loved one another.

TBC

A.N Wow longest chapter yet, again I realize that the first time Buffy and Angel sleep with each other isn't until her seventeenth birthday but in this they have already been dating each other for a while and with the next episode being what it is I somehow though it was strangely appropriate.

Also I would like to have a vote, the Summers house in the show only have three bedrooms which in this story is currently being used by everyone now I would love to know what you would like to happen.

A) Angel moves out into his own place, provided by the council.

B) Buffy and Angel just start sharing a room

C) They get a nursery built on as an extension.

So get your vote in now most votes win of course. Also it's like midnight right now I have to get up in five hours to start work so any mistakes are purely my fault as I just want this story updated now, so it's not going to my beta.

Sorry.


	21. Chapter 20

An offending beeping sound dragged Buffy from the most peaceful sleep she has had since the Billy incident, normally she was dreaming of the master killing her or worst turning her then she would kill and torture all of the people she loved, always leaving Angel for last and hurting him the worst.

All of that was forgotten as last night events was remembered as Angel pulled her closer with the arm wrapped around her waist, smiling to herself, Buffy reached over to his nightstand and turned off the alarm noticing that they still had a good hour before school and she was quite content to stay where she was. Turning around she saw that Angel was starting to awake, making Buffy giggle at the completely unguarded expression on his face, making him turn to her with the warmest smile she had seen on his face.

"Hey" He whispered not daring to talk any louder in fear of ruining the moment, he couldn't remember being this content ever before and it was all because of the blonde goddess in his arms right now whose giggles had stop and was staring at him with all of the love she had for him.

"Hey" Buffy whispered back moving closer getting ready to kiss him when she reared back and wrinkled her nose, at Angel's surprised and slightly hurt expression she smiled and explained.

"Morning breath, I love you" Angel blinked for a seconded before returning the declaration.

"I wanted to thank you for last night, I've never felt so special and loved like that, and it was all because of you, so thank you for making my first time, our first time something I'll never forget." Angel just stared at Buffy the honesty and warmth of her words made him feel warm and he thanked the powers that she was brought into his life.

"In that case I should thank you last night you gave me something you can never give someone else, and for that I'm deeply honoured and grateful, I will never find enough words to express how much you mean to me." Ignoring about morning breath Buffy leaned in and gave Angel a gentle kiss, before pulling back with a small mischievous smile on her face.

"As much as I don't want to move, and as much as I want to repeat last night unfortunately we have school and Giles will get all worried if he doesn't see me there, and I need to tell him what happened with Marcy" Buffy said, all the while snuggling closer to Angel inadvertently rubbing a certain spot on the hunters body that was making him forget completely about school.

"School and Giles can wait, we can be a little late I think" Angel whispered before rolling on top of Buffy and began to convince her he was right, which didn't take much effort at all, their love for each other shrouding them in their own little world.

Much later in the morning Buffy entered the library a smile permanently on her face. Looking around she couldn't see anyone in the library spreading her senses out she heard the faint sounds of two people talking in Giles's office, moving closer the voices got more distinct even though the office door was closed, Buffy identified them as her mother and step-father.

"Do you think he's told Buffy yet?" Joyce asked her husband, not realizing the person they were talking about was right outside.

"I don't know, he said he was going to last night, which is why I suggested that we stay here" Giles brow furrowed as he remembered a conversation he had yesterday.

"_Giles I'm going to find a place of my own" Angel stated after giving the Codex to Giles._

"_Is this because Joyce is pregnant?" Giles asked he didn't see this coming as far as he could tell Angel was happy living with them and being close to Buffy, but then again the Hunter could be very surprising._

"_A little bit, but I've been thinking about it since Sid, Joyce getting pregnant just gave me the push I needed." Angel looked to the floor, this decision was very hard for him, but he felt it was best for everyone, especially Buffy._

"_The puppet? I don't understand what he has to do with it" _

"_He was close to me several times before we found out who he really was, and not once did I suspect he was anything then an ordinary puppet, the same goes with the demon, I must have spent at least five minutes with the guy and nothing." Giles looked at the young man pace and things began to click together._

"_Your scared that your becoming to comfortable, that one day your not going to be able sense the danger before it's too late" Angel just nodded not being able to speak._

"_Very well I shall contact the council so they can get everything in order for you to get a place of your own, just promise me one thing." Angel looked Giles dead in the eye._

"_I won't hurt her, I was hoping that after high school she'll move in with me" the possibility that she wouldn't survive until then didn't even cross his mind._

"_Good, well I'll start deciphering this why don't you go find Buffy, I haven't heard from her in a while and I'm beginning to worry." Giles started to move to his desk as Angel headed out before leaving he turned around._

"_Thanks, Giles."_

"Have the council got back to you yet?" Joyce asked making Giles come out of his reverie.

"Yes, Angel's all set to move out as soon as he finds a place suitable for his needs" A noise from the library made them jump all the students should be in class and no one was scheduled to use the library this period. Giles motioned for his wife to stay where she was as he went to investigate.

Opening his office door the first thing he noticed was that no one was in the library shrugging he turned around before something peculiar caught his eye, the books he had used last night were on the floor in a pile, when he was positive that he had placed them neatly on the table ready to go back into the cage. Frowning he went to pick them up wondering how they ended up on the floor.

Meanwhile at her locker, Buffy was finding it very hard to breathe, learning that her mother was pregnant was hard, when she was told that Angel could have gone evil on his seventieth birthday was worse, but Angel moving out of his own volition, the sentence wasn't comprehending in her brain, the words just didn't make sense. He was suppose to tell her last night but instead they . . . They.

"Buffy!" The blonde teen whirled around at the sound of her best friend; Willow stopped noting that her best friend seemed very troubled at the moment.

"Buffy what's wrong, should I go get Angel" At the mention of her boyfriends name a single tear leaked out and rolled down Buffy's cheek, just as a group of students walked right past them, using the distraction Buffy merged herself with them getting away from Willow and headed out of the school, going to the nearby park and sitting on one of the swings lost in thought.

Willow was very concerned as she hurried to the library she had spent the last hour and a half looking for her friend with no luck. She knew Buffy had been a little upset lately because of her mothers pregnancy but this was a whole new problem and Willow suspected it had something to do with the slayers boyfriend if her friends reaction to his name was anything to go by. Nearing the library she saw Angel in there through the little glass window in the door bursting in she got straight to the point.

"What did you do to Buffy you big jerk." Willow shouted at Angel who just looked shocked at the redhead's outburst.

"Willow I think you should start at the beginning" Giles said sitting at the table with an apple in hand.

"Well just before I saw Buffy at her locker, she had her back to me but she turned around when I called her name." she paused and looked at the watcher suddenly very scared and sad.

"Giles I've never seen her look so lost or defeated before, then when I asked if I should go get Angel a single tear rolled down her cheek but before I could say anything she disappeared into a throng of students that walked past us." By the time Willow had finished she was glaring at Angel again who raised his hands in defence.

"Willow I swear I haven't done anything, she was fine when we got here at school, she said she was heading to the library to tell Giles about Marcy." Everyone looked to Giles who thought back then paled slightly muttering 'dear lord'.

"We need to find her quickly, if she overheard what I think she overheard then she will be easy prey for vampires and anything else that wants the slayer dead." Giles got up and started to head to his office to call Joyce to keep an eye out for their daughter, Willow's voice halted him just at the door.

"I don't understand what did she overhear, does have to do with the codex, then why would she cry at Angel's name?" Willow was shooting question glances between the two males. Giles sighed and looked apologetically at Angel.

"Earlier Joyce and myself were discussing Angel's plans on finding his own place, we both heard something in the library but when I went to investigate no one was in here, but the books I had left on the table were on the floor, I'm guessing Buffy knocked them over in her haste to leave the library.

"Poor Buffy" Willow muttered sadly before shooting Angel a murderous glare.

"If anything happens to her, I'm blaming you." with that the teen left the library to get Xander to help search for Buffy never hearing Angel mutter.

"You're not the only one" Angel got up from his seat and headed out determined to find his girlfriend and explain the entire situation before anything happened to her.

TBC

A.N Ok so so so SORRY about the major delay in updating but I had a major writers block with this chapter.

Anyway the result of the vote is . . .

A Tie between Option A and B even with my personal vote, so I had no idea what to do, then I talked about it with a friend and a solution came to mind, one I'm not sharing till the next chapter.

Anyway I hoped you enjoyed this little chapter please review it helps me to write if I know if you're enjoying the story.

MBB


	22. Chapter 21

Buffy had been wondering around Sunnydale lost in her troubled thoughts, finally glancing around she noticed that it was getting dark, and even though ordinarily she wouldn't have cared she knew that right now she was no match for a simple fledging let alone anything stronger, yet she didn't want to go to places where she would eventually have to see Angel.

Sighing she knew she couldn't stay away from her house or the library forever Buffy decided to head home. Before she entered the house she expanded her senses and relaxed a little when she didn't feel Angel's presence inside. Slowly lifting a hand that felt like lead Buffy opened her door only to be engulfed by her mother.

Buffy couldn't ignore the guilt building up inside of her at causing her mother to worry, especially now as she was pregnant. Buffy looked back at her behaviour over the past couple of day's and felt more guilt, her mother had been so understanding when it came to slaying and Buffy couldn't show her the same. Pulling back so she could see her mother's face she smiled.

"Mom, I'm so sorry for everything, I know I haven't been exactly supporto-gal, I just want you to know that I'm really happy for you and Giles" Buffy saw the tears in Joyce's eyes and all the emotion Buffy had been holding in came up to the surface, and in the doorway to 1630 Revello drive the mighty slayer wept in her mother's arms.

Buffy didn't know how long they stood there but at some point Joyce had moved them to the lounge and onto the couch, now she was in the kitchen making them drinks as well as calling Giles at the library to let him know she was safe.

"Mom" Buffy said from the kitchen doorway making her mother jump, and drop the phone.

"Sorry, if you don't mind I'm going to stay at Willow's tonight, I know I need to speak with Angel, but I can't face him right now, it's too fresh and I wont listen to what he has to say" In that moment Joyce realized how much older and mature Buffy had become since being the slayer. The Buffy from L.A well she wouldn't have stayed this long with one boy and by now anything from him would be in the bin torn up.

"Ok, I'll tell Giles when he gets in, have fun, and do try to study a little." Buffy couldn't help smile at her mother, it didn't escape her attention that she hadn't mentioned Angels name when it came to telling people where she was.

"I'm staying at Willow's mom, we probably wont do anything but study." Buffy headed up to her room to call Willow and ask to say even though she knew it would be yes after her behaviour today. Buffy sat down with a sigh on her bed and tried to picture life without Angel next door to her room coming up with nothing Buffy picked up the phone.

After hearing some strong words from Willow like mean, and bad Buffy got her stuff together, and headed out of her window since she just felt Angel enter the house. Without looking back she headed to her best friend.

"Where is she?" Angel asked when he found Joyce in the kitchen making dinner. Not turning around she addressed her daughter's boyfriend.

"I'm sorry Angel, but she doesn't want to see you tonight, and before you say anything, I'm not mad at you, and she wont be either when she hears you out, which is why she left tonight, said she wanted to hear you out properly and couldn't do that tonight." Joyce finished just as the phone rang and somehow managed to beat Angel to it.

"Hello . . . Thanks for calling . . . Anything you would like him to know . . . Ok goodnight hunny." Joyce placed the phone back on the cradle.

"That was Buffy what did she say please." Joyce stopped what she was doing and faced Angel.

"She said she left out of her window when she felt you come in and she asked me to say" Joyce paused playing a little with the person who had hurt her daughter.

"What please tell me" Angel never thought he would beg to anyone but here he was begging to the mother of the person he loved, because that person didn't want to talk to him.

"She said she loves you" Joyce almost laughed at the absolute look of relief on Angel's face.

"_Yes definitely in a couple of more years I will be calling him son, that's if Buffy doesn't kill him first'_

"Angel, Joyce I'm home" Giles called through the house.

"We're in the kitchen honey" Joyce said as she went back to preparing dinner, while Angel sat at the island in the middle of the kitchen a competitive look on his face. Noticing that Giles had properly greeted his wife with a act that would've made Buffy cringe and make some sort of smart-ass comment mad Angel realize something.

While no one could fully replace the family he had lost, he now had a new family, one that loved him just as much and one that wasn't completely in danger from his calling. One he knew he couldn't leave unprotected, and he honestly didn't think he could survive not seeing Buffy every morning. Even though they had reached the next level in their relationship Angel knew Joyce wouldn't like them sleeping in the same room, nor would Giles, and he didn't want them knowing about the previous night's (and this mornings) events.

"Giles I just came up with an idea about this whole moving thing." Giles looked at the Hunter and could see that the young man had completely changed his mind about leaving, the watcher gestured for him to continue.

"When the baby gets here, we aren't going to have enough room and that was one reason I was going to move, the other was because I thought that I was going soft and that on of you or Buffy would get hurt because of it." Angel looked both adults in the eye and was glad he had their attention.

"Well I know you would never let me and Buffy share a room right now, but I was thinking that the basement is quite spacious and with the money the council gave me for my new place, I was thinking we could transform it into a bedroom, that way I wouldn't have to leave the house and there would be room for the baby." He could see their minds agreeing with him then Giles frowned.

"What about becoming too soft to notice danger approaching Angel, wouldn't that still apply." Angel grinned he knew that question was going to appear.

"Actually the most precious and important things are right in this house, and I believe that will give me more motivation to protect and train myself to the fullest." Now all Angel could do was hold his breath while they decided.

"Also you know that this would get you off the hook with Buffy right?" Joyce asked a teasing glint in her eyes. Angel just blushed ever so slightly at being found out and nodded his head, getting up he headed towards the drawer containing spare stakes- there was a least one stake or weapon in every room of the house, as some demons didn't need to be invited in- and grabbed a couple.

"I'm going to do a quick patrol while dinner cooks and you make up your minds, who knows you might've enjoyed the idea of getting me out of the house, and away from your sweet incorrigible daughter" With a smile on his face the Hunter went off to find some prey.

"I do believe that Xander is a bad influence on that boy, I swear it took us months for him to stop calling us Sir and Mam, and know he's joking, what next props." Giles groaned while his wife just laughed and smiled knowing that everything was going to be all right for her daughter and Angel.

A.N Hey hey, a short chapter I know, but I wanted this posted we will call this an interlude between the two final episodes. I Hope everyone is ok with what I did with Angel staying, I was thinking of Spike pretty much living in the basement for the final season, and it brought me here, but they will re-decorate it so it wont be like Xander living in his parents basement at all. Just remember that Buffy doesn't know anything but Angel is moving out yet so things will still be a bit rough for our favourite couple for a bit.


	23. Chapter 22

Angel let out an angry scowl as he prowled through the cemetery he was patrolling, it had been two days since he had come up with the idea of changing the basement into a bedroom. Two days and he had yet to have a proper conversation with Buffy, they had been given different patrol routes due to an increase of demonic activity, and at school Willow kept dragging her off before he could even muster a hello.

"Damn and damnation, what do I have to do to have a conversation with my girlfriend these days" He yelled out in frustration, getting silence for an answer, he hurried towards a fresh grave that might or might not be a new vampire hoping to relieve some of his tension on the poor unsuspecting fledging, as he saw a hand rise out of the dirt he spared a quick thought for Buffy, feeling his heart twist he grimaced and waited for his foe to rise.

Near the high school a car was parked the couple completely oblivious to the danger lurking outside, that was until the female occupant leaned back frowning holding the other occupant at arms length.

"Did you here that?" The female asked, it was unusual for her the resident queen of Sunnydale high to be distracted from a make out session with a boy, but ever since the new girl Buffy had come to Sunnydale with her hot boyfriend she had been doing a lot of things that are unusual for her.

For example just a last week she had entered the library on her own free will and actually had a conversation with the loser squad of the school. What struck her as odd was Buffy herself, she could've easily been part of Cordelia's crowd but the girl pretty much ignored her and decided to sit with the red-headed nerd Willow and her loser friends Xander and Jesse.

_Jesse _ when was the last time she had seen him, in fact if she actually cared to think about it over the years a lot of people had randomly gone missing without a second thought, though strangely enough it had become fewer and fewer people who had disappeared ever since Buffy and Angel had arrived.

"It's nothing, no one is out there" the male occupant whispered to her shaking her head, Cordelia went back to much more pleasurable things never guessing that her companion was completely wrong.

Outside the main focus of Cordelia's thoughts was fighting for her life and was winning, even as the vamp threw her to the ground the slayer just rolled with it coming straight back to her feet and pulling out the spare stake she had hidden at her back. Smiling Buffy faced the undead opponent noticing his cocky smirk fall of his face with a ferial gleam.

She hated to admit it but she missed patrolling with Angel, heck she missed Angel period, and as much as she loved her red-headed friend, she wished Willow would let her speak to her boyfriend, even though a part of her was still deeply mad at him for wanting to move out, sighing as the vamp rushed her she ended the fight a bit to quickly for her mood.

Looking around she grimaced a foreboding feeling entering her stomach she brushed it off, sensing for more vamps she relaxed a little and smirked a little.

"Three in one night, Giles would be so proud." Grabbing her stake she headed off to her next patrol route. Her night was just beginning.

A.N This is just an update to let you guys know that I am continuing with this story, I will not abandon this story until it is finished then I'm taking a big break while I concentrate on other stories then maybe do a second season if there is enough. I really hate just giving you guys such a short chapter. Please forgive me.

MBB


	24. Chapter 23

In the local school library a light was on signalling to the outside world that the librarian was still hard at work long after everyone else had vacated the building. However this librarian wasn't doing school duties, no for the past three nights he had slaved over a little book desperately translating it in hopes to save everything around him.

Just as he was getting to a relevant looking bit he was distracted as his tea cup started rattling on his desk next to him transfixed he watched as it got closer and closer to the edge until finally it fell and crashed to the floor. The little quake didn't last long but its message was clear to Giles turning back to the book he looked upon a certain paragraph and he felt dread fill his stomach.

"Here it is, the slayer will face the master and she will . . ." Rupert Giles trailed as he read the fate of his step-daughter, losing his breath he collapsed in his chair and already began coming up with ideas to thwart fate.

Across town the slayer clueless to her dismal fate was just getting home from her patrol, she was grimacing a sign to all the un-dead wandering that night to stand clear if they wanted to see another night. Buffy had dusted five vampires around the school campus and another four on the way home via one or two cemeteries, that was nine in total for her alone and she had a gut feeling that Angel's night had been just as busy.

What was making all the un-dead so antsy to make them come out like this, they all knew that there was both a Hunter and a Slayer watching over the town, yet still they had come out in such numbers. Buffy couldn't help thinking that the Master had something to do with it, and maybe the earthquake that had happened earlier. Shaking her head Buffy realised she had been standing at her door for the past five minutes lost in thought.

Thankful that her mom knew about her calling Buffy entered her house glad she didn't have to sneak in through her bedroom window or anything. Looking around she realized that it was just slightly too quite in her home. It might've been late but not late enough that Joyce would've gone to bed without waiting to see if her daughter and boyfriend were alright after their patrol.

'I wonder if I can still class Angel as my boyfriend, we haven't spoken to each other in two days, back in L.A I would've already been with someone else by now' grimacing again Buffy called out into her empty looking house.

"Mom, Giles you guys here?" Another reason Buffy was glad that her mother knew about the truth of her reality stopped her from inviting vampires accidentally into the house.

"They're at the library" Buffy jumped at the sound of Angel's voice turning to the stair way she saw him there just in a pair of tracks and drying his hair with a towel.

"He must of just had a shower" she thought as she watched him slowly descend and close the gap so there was only a couple of spaces between them. Buffy tried not to stare or think about the last time angel had been this close to her besides from training.

"I'm sorry what did you say?' Angel smirked at Buffy's reaction and was glad to see that she still had such a reaction to him.

"I said they are at the library, after the quake your mom got scared and didn't want to be alone, but Giles couldn't come home so she went to him, they wont be back till tomorrow." Just like that night two days ago, excepted this time there was no plans on kissing let alone anything else.

"Oh so it's just you and me then" Buffy said while taking a step closer to Angel.

"Um-hum Buffy I have something I need to tell you" Angel placed his hands on her shoulders, gently bringing her even closer, but before he could say another word the telephone rang breaking the spell that had encompassed them.

"I better get that, it could be mom" moving herself away from Angel and towards the phone, Buffy missed the irritated scowl that passed over his face.

"Hello . . . Oh hi Wills . . . No I felt it too . . . Can I come over?" Buffy paused to look at Angel who didn't quite met her full gaze, watching Angel just then seeing the slight hope that she will say no made Buffy instantly click. She didn't know why or how, but she had this feeling that if she gave up this chance to speak to Angel they would never sort out the rift that had formed between them.

"I'm sorry Wills but I need to stay home and keep an eye on my mom, the quake kinda freaked her a little bit . . . I will, bye Willow" Ignoring the guilt of lying to Willow Buffy gently placed the phone back in it's cradle.

"Does she have a sensor or something, I swear every time I try to talk to you she always interrupts" Buffy stared at Angel slightly shocked at his outburst, then felt the need to defend her friend.

"She's just trying to be a good friend Angel, something I have actually needed over the past couple of days" She tried not to flinch at the look of self-loathing that flashed in Angels eyes she really did.

Sighing she once again moved closer to her boyfriend.

"Look I didn't just lie to Willow so we cold fight, now you said that you had something to tell me so spill" Buffy rolled her eyes as the phone rang again this time Angel went to receive it.

"Giles's residence . . . Yes she is home . . . She seems fine . . . Ok see you in the morning" Angel sighed as he hanged up the phone and turned to the petit slayer now standing in front of him, with a mischievous glint in her eyes and a small smirk, Angel watched as Buffy pulled the phone line from the wall.

"Now no interruptions, what was you trying to say" Buffy said as she let the cord fall to the floor.

"Firstly that was your mother on the phone just making sure you are fine, and secondly, I Love you, you know that right, that no matter what might happen in the future I will always love you." Angel tensed as he saw Buffy's eyes start to go glossy and tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"I believe I should know that, but then I overhear that you are moving away from me, from us and I hurt. Not just because of the act but because you didn't believe in me enough to talk to me about whatever it is that is taking you away, Then I feel like I've done something wrong because of that and then I try to hate you for making me feel this pain but I just can't because I love you too much" By the end of her speech Buffy had steady tears falling don her cheeks and Angel had grabbed her upper arms and pulled her flush against his body. Suddenly Buffy laughed a dead hollow sound and she pulled back to look into Angel's concerned face.

"You really want to know the worst thing about all of this." She waited until he nodded in confirmation.

"It was how and when I heard that you was leaving, I didn't even mean to overhear mom and Giles talking in the library I swear, I was just curious as to what she doing at school instead of the gallery, but Angel to hear it after that wonderful night, after we had come together as close as any two souls and bodies can, to hear that it might not happen again, it broke my heart, Angel please don't go." Angel did the only thing he could think of and swooped down to claim her still trembling lips in a heated love filled kiss.

Buffy was shocked for a second and a second only, she stopped crying and lifted her arms up to wrap around his neck as her eye's closed in bliss as the feeling of coming home crashed into her. When the need of air forced them to part Angel looked deeply into her eyes took her hand and lead her to her bedroom. That night he proved his passion and desire for her but mostly he proved that no matter what he would always love her.

The next morning Buffy woke gradually up something she seemed shocked as the last couple of days she had been woken constantly by horrible nightmares most of them prophetic others about her situation with Angel. Today however she became aware of the arm wrapped around her waist and the strong chest she was using as a pillow, looking up she saw that Angel was still asleep.

Buffy smiled at the peacefulness visage of her boyfriends face until a sudden thought came across her head, why she was thinking it now she had no clue but no matter how hard she tried to relax in her boyfriends arms she couldn't escape the chill that had come over her.

'_He never said he wasn't going to leave, that he would always love me yes, but he never said he was going to stay'_

Buffy turned around and stared at the clock realizing that she had awoken before her alarm had gone off but couldn't go back to sleep Buffy carefully got out of the bed and started getting herself ready for school. Somehow she didn't wake Angel up and with his sensitive hearing she was surprised especially when she dropped a full bottle of holy water on her foot, lucky it didn't break, but she could still feel an impression of it on her foot.

All ready Buffy looked over at Angel then the alarm, seeing that it was going to go off soon Buffy felt like she had to go before Angel woke up, that if she stayed he would be able to make her melt and she will forget that he was going to leave and if she forgot that he was leaving then it would hurt even more when he did. A part of her didn't know why she was making such a big fuss, it wasn't like he was leaving town or that they were even breaking up, but a bigger part felt that him moving out was a step backwards in their relationships, and with the destinies they had a future wasn't a sure thing, ever, so she just wanted to spend as much time with people she cared about as she could.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts Buffy placed the note she had written earlier quickly kissed Angel on his forehead and left the house in the direction of the high school. Hopefully she could catch her mother before she left for the gallery.

Back at 1630 a dark haired hunter was being roused from his sleep by an annoying buzzing sound he reached over to turn of his alarm but when he felt thin air he pried open his eyes and saw that he was in Buffy's room he smiled and turned over to face his girlfriend who was probably still asleep even with the alarm going off. He frowned when he saw that he was alone in Buffy's bed moving over to turn off the alarm he saw a note with Buffy's writing on it.

_Angel_

_I have gone a head to school, I couldn't wake you up this morning, you seemed so peaceful and something is telling me that we are going to need all the rest we can get. I will see you later ._

_All my Love_

_Buffy_

Sighing Angel put the note down and started getting dressed, he had just put on his black slacks when he suddenly remembered something, or more precisely he had forgotten to mention something to a blonde haired slayer.

"Damn" he growled how could he forget to tell Buffy he wasn't leaving, he was just moving down to the basement which had slowly been outfitted for a bedroom while everyone was a work or school. He wondered if this was also why Buffy wasn't still here. Sighing he decided he would have to tell her when he saw her at school even if he had to lock Willow in a closet just to get to her.

Shrugging into a nice blood red shirt he also remembered that some sort of school dance was this weekend he guessed Buffy would like to go as she was always trying to get him to go to the Bronze even if they were suppose to be patrolling at that particular time. Making a mental note to ask her later Angel grabbed his bag and left for school, hoping that after last night things would be less strained between him and Buffy. He would of never had guessed what Giles had found the night before and that in the next 48 hours he could lose someone he wasn't prepared to lose.

A.N I know I'm really dragging out this ending but I feel real bad for not updating regular, I've just been having major writers block and the only time I get inspiration is when I'm in the middle of work and then it goes as soon as I leave. Well enough excuses from me, don't hate me too much please.

Oh and if you guys are looking for some real awesome Buddy/Angel stories you should check out this Author who is one of my all time favourites, Daniella Harwood

Also if you find it wierd that they are letting people into the house when they are not there it does happen and joyce or giles comes home at lunch to check on things.


	25. Chapter 24

Buffy entered the library, immediately noticing the damaged the earth quake had done straight away, she had decided that she did need to see her mother this morning and had gone via the gallery in case she had already arrived, instead of coming straight to school where she wouldn't of been able to leave if Joyce had already left.

Fortunately luck was on her side and Joyce was at the gallery, after they had both checked to make sure the other was fine after the quake Buffy reluctantly headed off to school, she had a biology test first period and she hadn't really studied for it.

She saw Giles come out of the office, and walk straight pass her without a glance in her direction. Buffy sighed, if she hadn't got used to this ever since they had found the Codex, then she might've been offended, but this was her step-father in all his watcherly glory.

"Hey Giles" The librarian jumped as he realized he wasn't alone and the reason for all his worry was three feet in front of him looking perfectly unharmed. This made him relax a little while Buffy gave him her patrol report.

"I had to stop four of them right on the edge of campus, I don't like this Giles something has got these vamps majorly wigged." Seeing that Giles had zoned out again Buffy got a little annoyed.

"Giles care, I'm putting my life on the line out there, the least you could do is be a little more interested, I am the daughter of your wife." Giles finally snapped out of his stupor and glanced at Buffy.

"Hmm, yes your right, I'm sorry, I think for now on it might be better if you and Angel patrolled together, you might get less ground covered but it will be safer if you came across a large group of vampires." The bell rang signalling first period and Buffy groaned.

"I guess there's no denying it, I'm just going to have to face my fate" The tone of her voice made Giles almost fall over as he turned around so fast to stare at her.

"_She couldn't possibly know, could she, unless of course she dreamt it."_

"What" Buffy just looked up at the librarian a little sad look on her face and in one simply word restored the watcher's heart rate back to normal.

"Biology" gathering her things the tiny slayer headed out to her class leaving an even more determined man behind to make sure she saw it to the end of the year.

***

"Well that had to be the suckiest period ever" Buffy announced as the four teens made there way out the class and into the quad, Buffy and Angel were loosing holding hands, they weren't aloud to sit next to each other because of the test, and Willow as usual came to sweep Buffy away before Angel could talk to her as soon as the bell went, but Buffy quickly spoke to the red head making the teen give the Hunter the most ferocious glare he had ever seen from any being in existence and knew that Willow still didn't fully trust him even if she did let Buffy walk next to him.

Buffy herself seemed to be back to her normal self, but Angel could see that some of her smiles were a bit forced, especially as Xander went on about them being back to the lovey dovey couple he knew them to be.

"Even I was bored, and I'm a geek" Willow commented carrying on with Buffy's comment.

"Don't say that" Angel said even if he also found the test a little easy, but unlike his girlfriend he had remembered to study for it.

"No it's ok geeks are in right now" Willow paused as she silently thought for a minute before continuing

"There still in right?" After a getting an affirmative nod from the other three they came to the quad, where Angel sent Xander a significant glance which made the brunette to jump and latch onto Willow's arm who was still conversing with Buffy.

"Hey Willow remember that thing that we had to do, that was somewhere else, that was not here." Xander rambled as he dragged the protesting Willow away before she could object. Buffy stared after them shaking her head and laughing a little.

"Ok that was a little weird, even for them" her face grew a little more sombre as she almost wistfully stared after them.

"Sometimes I really envy them, you know. How unaffected by our world they seem, knowing that any day they can just up and walk away from it, while we remain stuck until we get careless and we die far earlier then what was planned, and in those moments I almost hate them for it." Buffy shook her head and turned to her boyfriend who was staring at her with deep understanding.

"Does that make me a bad person?" She asked as he gathered her in his arms for a comforting hug.

"It simply makes you human, at least know that you will always have me by your side to stop you from getting sloppy." Buffy stiffened a little at that statement and stared into space.

"Will I?" She had said it so quietly that Angel almost missed it, squeezing tightly for a second, he pulled back slightly and gazed into her beautiful hazel eye's that looked far older then the sixteen year old she was.

"Can I ask you a question?" at her nod Angel looked around a saw a bench that was almost empty except for one male student, moving them over to it then getting the boys attention, told him to leave using a voice that brook no argument.

"I know we are really busy at the moment, with the rise of vampire activity, and deciphering the Codex, but I was wondering Buffy Summers, if you would like to accompany me to the Spring Fling dance tomorrow night." Buffy looked up at Angel with such surprise and happiness that she really felt like a normal girl in that moment of time.

"Yes, of course, but will Giles let us, he has kinda been uber-watcher lately." Angel just smirked and pushed some stray hair off her face.

"I've already discussed this with your mother and she has agreed to get Giles to agree." Buffy almost screamed in delight but the bell rang signalling to the other students that the next class was beginning and to the slayer and hunter that it was time for weapons training in the library.

***

When the teens got to the library they saw that Miss calendar was in the library office talking to their watcher, so they decided to wait at the table as the computer teacher still didn't know who they were even though they knew she was a techno-pagen.

They didn't have to wait long as Giles saw them through the window and hurried the other teacher out, once they were alone they got out the pads and did some warm ups before moving on to weapons. Both the slayer and hunter noticed the absent-mindedness in Giles as he didn't comment when Angel deliberately threw a bad punch kick combo.

Finally five minutes before the bell they stopped their training and began to tidy up, this was when Angel noticed that the watcher was watching Buffy more then usual and a grim feeling began to settle in his stomach, seeing that Buffy was quickly going to the bathroom to freshen up before their next class he noticed Giles move his way.

Giles knew that he hadn't been very attentive but his discovery in the codex had kept him preoccupied ever since he found it, that was why Jenny Calendar had been able to sneak up on him when he was on the phone to Joyce earlier, and why he hadn't commented on Angel's poor performance.

He knew from the watcher's diaries that Angel had been exceptional at learning different languages and knew more than most watchers fully graduated from the academy. He knew that if anyone could help it would be the Hunter especially once he had found out what Giles already knew.

Seeing his chance as Buffy left the library to freshen up before the bell like always he went to talk to Angel.

"Angel, I need to talk to you" Giles felt sympathetic when he saw the young mans eyes dart towards the door where his heart had just gone through before settling back on the watcher.

"I've got to go to this next class, you know Snyder is just looking for a reason to kick me and Buffy out." Angel knew he wasn't getting it as bad as Buffy but that was only because the only person getting higher grades was Willow.

"I know, I know, after school before your patrol with Buffy, it's very important" Giles and Angel had been so engrossed in their conversation they didn't notice Buffy re-enter the library.

"What's very important?"

"That Angel has the proper attire for your dance tomorrow night." Giles said hoping Buffy didn't see through his lie.

"Oh I didn't think you would be so approving of us going with recent events" Buffy paused and walked up to Giles, surprising the watcher she wrapped arms around his neck and gave him their first hug.

"It means a lot that you are letting us go, I hope you know I wont let this distract me tonight. Dad." Buffy whispered the last word as she released them from the hug startling Giles even more, and making more determined then ever not to see her get killed.

"We better get going" Angel said taking Buffy's hand and headed out of the library when they left they didn't see their watcher collapse into the closest chair and bury his head in his hands, desperate to come up with a way to change fate.

***

Much later in the day Buffy was in the bathroom getting ready for her patrol with Angel, she turned the tap on and looked down,, instead of water pouring out of the tap it looked like blood was instead, she took one step back and uttered one word.

"Giles"

Quickly making her way to the library, knowing no one else would be there at the late hour she started talking as soon as she entered the library, but stopped short when it became apparent that the librarian/watcher was already talking to someone, standing still Buffy waited for the person to cross the open doorway of the office, she was surprised at who it was.

"Angel?" Slowly cautiously she made her way to the office noting that they were deeply involved in the conversation, so involved that Angel didn't even sense her presence.

"This can't be right" Angel stated looking at the book in his hands rather than the person he was talking to.

"It is" Buffy couldn't remember Giles ever looking so worn or stressed.

"Maybe you translated it wrong" Angel almost yelled his mind not coping with what he was seeing.

"I wish to God it were so, but tomorrow night Buffy will face the Master and she will die" Giles yelled before the room was enveloped in silence, their unseen watcher standing by the door in shock, until she let out a nervous shaky laugh, making both men look at her.

Seeing that she had been finally noticed Buffy moved into the library feeling both Angel and Giles follow her, when she got near the study table she turned to face the two most important men in her life.

"So that's it huh, one slayer dies next one is called, wonder what she will be like, will you train her?" She directed the last part to Giles.

"Buffy I . . ." he trailed off as he realized he had nothing to say.

"Does it say how's he going to kill me" she hesitated trying not to break not yet.

"Do you think it will hurt" she whispered the last part and Angel instinctively went to comfort her but the slayer just moved away before he could make contact.

"Don't touch me!" Buffy took a couple of breaths before facing the men a plan firmly held in her head.

"Were either of you even going to tell me?" By the way they avoided her eyes did Buffy get her answer making her think back to the last time they kept something hidden from her. She didn't need to be protected from the big bad world why couldn't they see that.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to, that we would find a way to stop it.' Giles finally answered

"I have a way, I quit" she could tell neither of them were expecting that by the way they glanced at each other. This time Angel spoke.

"It's not that simple"

"I'm making it that simple, I quit, I resign, you can find someone else to stop the master." Buffy knew she was verging on hysterical, but she couldn't really help it, they were suppose to help her not pat her on the head and send her to her death.

"I'm not sure anyone else can, the signs" Giles stopped talking as soon as he realized he sounded exactly like his father and a shiver ran down his spine. Buffy however didn't give him long to contemplate that thought.

"The signs! read me the signs! tell me my fortune! your _so_ useful sitting here with all your books, you're really a lot of help" During her little tirade Buffy had began to through his precious books at the librarian.

"I don't suppose I am" Giles admitted defeated, seeing this Angel tried to get the blonde slayer to calm down.

"I know it's hard" This didn't help as Buffy turned on him.

"What do you know, _you're_ not the one that's going to die" Angel felt his own anger to stir at her words, he decided to tell her exactly what was on his mind.

"You think I want _anything _to happen to you, you think I could stand it, I love you" Angel paused and tried again in a calmer tone, yelling at her wouldn't't help anything.

"We just need to find a way . . ." Once again he was cut off by Buffy.

"I've found a way, I quit, pay attention" Giles also tried one more time.

"Buffy if the master rises."

"I don't care" she yelled ripping off the necklace that Angel had given her and tossed it to the floor her eyes glued to it. It was like some sort of signal watching that little piece of jewellery bounce on the floor everyone seemed to calm down.

"I don't care" Buffy knew what she was going to do and nothing could change her mind, looking up at Giles she voiced one last thought.

"Giles I'm sixteen years old, I don't want to die" All her anger gone the slayer wasn't present, Just a sixteen year old pleading to her step-father to save her life. Looking at both men once more she started to move out of the library pausing only once to leave one final message.

"Mom does not find out about this" not waiting for a reply she carried on through the doors, leaving both men very worried about her safety and the fate of the world.

****

Later that night Buffy was in her room going through a couple of picture albums filled with photos of when she was younger, wishing she could go back to that naïve existence she knew before getting called. Hearing a knock at the door she didn't look up thinking it might be either Angel or Giles, neither one she wanted to see at the moment, then she felt her bed move and someone move hair out of her face looking up she saw her mother looking at her with a worried expression.

"Hey are you alright"

"I guess" Buffy said looking down.

"You must be full from that bite of dinner you nearly had, what's on your mind" Joyce was concerned she knew things were still a bit strained between Angel and Buffy as he still hadn't told her he was moving to the basement, but she knew that he had successfully asked her to the spring fling or whatever they called it here.

"Mom can we go away somewhere" Buffy's voice cut through her musings so sharply that Joyce felt a little disoriented at first.

"What?"

"Just the two of us, we can go now and you can bring up all the embarrassing things you like to talk about." Buffy's enthusiasm made her smile slightly but it didn't last long as concern for daughter began to mount.

"Buffy you know the gallery is open on weekends" the pleading look on her daughters face almost made her give in.

"Mom please" Buffy knew she was probably starting to scare her mother but Buffy believed if she got far enough away the problems with the master will go away and maybe just maybe she will survive to see the summer holidays.

"Don't you have that dance thing that Angel asked you to, he did ask you right." When her daughter looked away Joyce felt her heart break for Buffy until her daughter spoke.

"He did but it doesn't matter, I won't be going" Buffy quickly wiped the tear away before her mother could see it. Out the corner of her eye she saw her mother go to her closet.

"It's a shame since Giles and I got you this." Joyce opened the door revelling a beautiful white gown hanging on a hook on the door, despite her current mood Buffy couldn't help herself as she drew closer to the dress.

"We can't afford this." Buffy whispered as she felt the material between her fingers, she had stopped at the store where this had been on display every time they went to the mall, but the price was always to high for her to buy.

"Well with the way you've been eating I think we can." Joyce watched as her daughter let go of the dress and stare blankly into space.

"Well I hope you change your mind about that dance now, I mean it's not like your fate is set in stone" Joyce left the room never noticing Buffy's thoughtful look.

***

The next day Buffy had gone walking around Sunnydale remembering fond spots of her time here, she walked past the graveyard where she had saved Willow and Xander on her second night here. Then she went past the funeral home that Owen had followed them to getting himself knocked out and make Buffy realise that it would be forever hard to have normal friends and do slaying. All around the town enjoying the simple quietness it showed and trying not to think about the darkness that was hidden underneath.

It was late afternoon by the time she got back to her house Giles and Angel were nowhere to be seen which she was thankful for. Not being able to resist Buffy got the dress and tried it on, she was just standing in front of the mirror admiring how it looked when her mother came running in.

"Buffy it's Willow." Buffy didn't even think twice just grabbed her jacket, not noticing it was the one that Angel had given her and ran out of the house going towards her distress friend.

Buffy entered through her friends balcony window and saw that the redhead teen that was normally so bubbly and happy lying on a bed a pillow held closely to her chest. Buffy did what Willow would've done if the positions had been reversed, she sat on the edge of the bed and hugged Willow tight letting her know that she wasn't alone anymore as the red-head cried.

"It was horrible Buffy, I knew them guys, I go into that room everyday at school" As Willow explained what happened Buffy was thinking about her own situation and as she listen to her best friend get older with every second she realized something.

It was her job to stop it, hers and Angel's, they had to do it because no one else could like they could. Sure humans could fight vampires, Willow, Xander and Giles prove that every time they had accompanied her or Angel on a patrol, but they couldn't do it with the effectiveness and ease that a slayer or hunter could do. If her duty asked her to sacrifice herself so that people like Willow wouldn't lose their innocence or life then who was she to be so selfish to say no. If it took one life to save a thousand then it will be so.

"It will be ok" he voice was calm, but inside she was numb even though she knew she was doing the right thing Buffy still felt the shock that her life will soon be over.

"You don't get it, it wasn't our world anymore it was theirs and they had fun" Buffy knew she should've felt something at the accusation underlying that statement, but she couldn't blame Willow for being angry at her, as it was Buffy herself who brought the young teen into this dark cruel world that she has come to know. Getting up Buffy headed towards the door stopping only at Willows voice.

"Buffy I like your dress, it's nice" the slight guilt that was in her best friends voice made Buffy turn around with a smile on her face.

"Willow will you promise me that you'll take care of yourself, that you live as much as you can" At her friends nod Buffy headed out, with one destination in mind.

The school Library.

***

By the time that she got there, she could see that Giles was talking to Miss Calendar, apparently the vampire they had killed a while back hadn't been the anointed one after all, by the sounds of it the anointed one was a small child, making Buffy clench her fists tighter, with a stronger resolve to take the Master down with her.

"So I'm looking for a child" She said as she entered the library, making both Giles and Jenny turn around to face her.

"No because you are not going to kill the Master I am" Giles said showing her the bag of weapons he had been making. Buffy smiled a sad small smile making her look well beyond her actual years.

"He will kill you, I'm going, I'm the one who has to do this." Buffy said slowly walking towards him.

"I am not sending you out there to die!" Buffy remained unaffected by his outburst, and just looked at him.

"I'm not going to die, and you can't stop me" Just as Giles opened his mouth to object again Buffy decked him knocking him out. She watched as Jenny ran over to the unconscious librarian and knelt down checking his wound before looking up at Buffy who had picked up the crossbow from the table.

"If you go out there you'll die" Jenny said, Buffy just looked at her for a second before checking the crossbow.

"Maybe, but I'm going to take him down with me" Buffy then headed out before leaving she heard Jenny again.

"What should I tell him?"

"To look after my family. Then something cool." Buffy answered as she left the library.

***

When she got outside the school she noticed a little boy standing outside waiting for her, she could feel the evil off him, she knew that this was the anointed one. She approached the boy and crouched down next to him

"Its ok, I know who are" standing up she held out her hand.

"Take me to him." Without anymore words, Collin led Buffy through the town, and into the same cemetery she fought Luke and Darla, they went down into the tunnels and not to far from where they found Jesse was an opening lit with candles. Colin stopped and released the slayers hand.

Buffy looked from the little boy to the opening, she could feel him calling her, she knew she should probably stake the anointed one, but the Masters call was too strong and she entered the sunken church.

At first she didn't see anything but then again there were a lot of places he could hide she kept her crossbow at the ready and her eyes and senses alert.

"I knew you would come." The Masters voice rang from nowhere and everywhere.

"Yeah, well I didn't want to disappoint" Buffy started walking around the edge of the cave like area trying to find where the old vampire was talking from.

"You won't kill me with that" Buffy just help the crossbow tighter refusing to let her fear show.

"Yeah? I wouldn't be too sure about that" All the evil in the area was making it hard for her to locate her target, with her senses, and the echo made it sound like the vampire was everywhere, making it impossible for her to track by sound.

"You're afraid"

"Say's the one who hasn't even shown himself. I'm a big old nasty vampire who swears I'm going to kill you, but first I'll just hide myself so I can't get killed first." Buffy was back in the main part of church, she could see a pool of something she didn't even want to try and identify what over near the very back, and more entrances into the area.

Suddenly the evil aura intensified and Buffy whirled around, there he was, standing behind her, in his leather suit, white as snow skin and red eyes fixed onto her.

Buffy lifted her bow and prepared to fire, but the Master just waved his hand and she lowered it as he started to walk towards her, everything was screaming at her to move but the vampire slayer was rooted to the spot.

"You know, prophecies are tricky things" He was right there in front of her placing one of his hands on her throat as he began to move behind, leaning close he whispered into her ear.

"If you hadn't come, then I would not of been able to rise" Buffy let out a solitary tear as the master began to drain her, he didn't kill but left her week enough that when he dropped her face first into some water she was to weak to even roll over, so she drowned.

Just as the Master left Angel and Xander entered through the same tunnel she used, Angel raced over and lifted her out of the water looking for a pulse, when he found none the hunter looked up at the teenager boy in a daze.

"She's dead" Xander didn't want to believe and then he realized something.

"No she's not" Angel looked at him in confusion while gently cradling Buffy's still, cold body gently.

"If she drowned then she has a chance CPR." Angel quickly got Buffy on the floor and started to do what Xander suggested. It was a tense filled moment as Angel tried to bring back the one person he loved unconditionally. Suddenly Buffy arched up as she took in a breath before coughing up the water she had consumed.

"Angel?" she whispered as she tried to get her bearings, the person in question just pulled her into a tight hug peppering kisses all over her face.

Buffy was stunned her body felt like it was on fire, she never felt so alive or so powerful. She could feel that the Master was no longer in the immediate vicinity; she still felt a little numb and hadn't really processed the fact that she had been dead, if only for a few minutes.

"The Master?" She had to be sure her senses, which seemed a whole lot sharper weren't deceiving her.

"He's gone" Xander said, Angel was still holding Buffy closely to him hands wandering her body reassuring him that she was alive. Buffy patted his arm and he understood the signal to help her up.

"Maybe you should lie down" he said when he saw her waver just a little, Buffy just ignored him and walked a little away so she was standing on her own.

"No, I feel different, I feel stronger" Her body was still on fire and as she let her senses expand she could feel a strong demonic force in the direction of the high school. Turning slightly she regarded her companions.

"Come on" The two boys looked at each other than back at Buffy who had already started to leave.

"But we don't know where the master is." Xander said.

"I do" Then the trio left the area and headed towards the battle.

***

By the time they had reached the high school Buffy had already taken out three vampires with no effort at all, they reached the entrance and she looked towards Angel for confirmation, he nodded and they headed towards the roof entrance.

Buffy broke a wooden chair leg and gave it to Xander for an impromptu stake before turning to face them at the door to the roof. Angel knew she was going alone and just pulled a nicely sharpened stake out of his back pocket and stood on one side of the door, while Xander took the other side.

Just before Buffy left to go up the stairs Angel grabbed her and kissed her deeply.

"Good luck" Buffy just nodded then disappeared up the stairs. The two boys didn't have to wait long for vampires to show up; Angel fully immersed himself into the fight using it as a distraction from thinking about Buffy going up against someone who had already taken her out once. He could feel the difference in her power and was slightly at awe, they were pretty even before but know he thinks he would have a hard time actually defeating her in a full out fight.

Up on the roof Buffy kicked the door open and saw the Master watching the opening of the Hellmouth through the skylight, he was muttering to himself almost cooing to the creature emerging

Below, something about his world.

"I don't think it's yours just yet" Buffy said to get his attention, the Master stared at her in shock.

"You are dead" He stated almost more to himself then the blond slayer, she just looked at him.

"I may be dead, but I'm still pretty, which is more than I can say for you" he growled at her smart remark and fully turned to face her.

"You were meant to die it was written" he said outraged.

"What can I say I flunked the written" Buffy innocently said, she could feel him trying to use his power on her but for some reason it wasn't having the same effect as it did down in his lair. She pretended to be enthralled to let her get closer, looking up at him she pretended to be afraid.

"You think you could best me when you couldn't below" Now he had a slight grip on her throat Buffy looked up at him thoughtfully.

"You have fruit punch mouth"

"What" Then Buffy decked him sending him air born for a couple of seconds, getting into her fighting stance she threw him a level look.

"Save the hypnosis crap for the tourists" Then they began to fight, as they were fighting the ground trembled and the floor to library cracked making a wooden table break in half with it upturned towards the ceiling. Buffy saw this and decided to use this to her advantage sensing her distraction the Master gets a good grip on her throat and pulls her closer. Putting the skylight right behind her.

"Where are your jibes now girl? Will you laugh when my Hell is on Earth" Buffy just stared blandly at him.

"You're really that amped about Hell?" she said as she grabbed his throat and arm in a tighter grip than his.

"Go there" Then she lifted him over her and through the skylight where he landed on the upturn table. A shrieking fills the air as the Hellmouth starts to close and the Master opens his mouth to scream but turns to dust leaving behind a skeleton, one last reminder of his power and age.

***

A couple of minutes later Buffy, angel and Xander were entering the library, Buffy slowly ventured through the debris toward the skeletal remains of her foe. Xander stood by Cordelia, while Angel stayed close to Buffy.

"Vampires?" Xander asked Cordelia.

"Gone" Cordelia was a little in shock from everything that had happened in the last couple of days.

"The Master?" Angel asked not really taking his eyes from Buffy to ask anyone in particular. It was Giles who answered from next to Willow and Jenny.

"Dead, and he took the Hellmouth with him." He looked to his step-daughter who had yet to say a word or look at anyone.

"Buffy?" she turned her head towards him and he could see the tears rolling down her cheeks, she seemed a little dazed and it took her a while to come back into focus.

"Sorry it's been a really weird day" She said before going back to the remains of the Master.

"Yeah Buffy died and everything" Xander said trying to lighten the mood up a little. Giles smiled proudly at Buffy and watched as Angel went over and pulled her into a hug.

"Wow, harsh" Willow said a little in shock. A lot had happened in the past couple of day's and even though she had been through a lot personally she couldn't really comprehend what it must if felt like to have died.

"I should've know that wouldn't of stopped you" Giles was now next to Buffy and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, she gave him a small smile then burying her face back into Angel's chest.

"So what are we going to do now" Jenny asked feeling a little out of place even though she had helped before.

"I don't know about the rest of you but I'm going to get out of here and check on my pregnant wife." Giles paused looking around quietly a grimace appearing on his face.

"I don't much like this place anymore" Making sure Buffy was ok he headed out of the library. Miss Calendar quickly followed saying something about paperwork that needed completing before leaving the teens alone. It was Xander who broke the silence.

"I hear there's this dance over at the Bronze, it could be fun" They all looked at him and Cordelia nodded her agreement. While Willow looked over towards Buffy who was pulling herself a little away from Angel so she could participate in the conversation.

"Buffy?" She said hopefully.

"Why not, we saved the world I say we party" Looking down at her ruined dress she looked up at Angel shyly.

"I mean I got all pretty." Angel just smiled and kissed her forehead. Before turning towards the Master, his face hardening.

"What about him" Everyone just held there breaths while the contemplated that thought.

"He's not going anywhere. Loser" Buffy said the last part to the skeleton before grabbing Angel's hand and began to make her way out of the library.

"The teens all started to talk over lapping one another heading towards the entrance to the school to go to the dance. Before the library doors closed Angel turned to Buffy.

"About your dress" but Buffy just cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah I know it's nice" causing them both to laugh into the night.

THE END

A.N Here it is the last chapter. I'm so sorry it's taken forever for me to get this completed. I hope you enjoyed it. I want to thank everyone for reading and reviewing to my story, I hope this ending was what you expected.


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